The Truth about Time Travel
by Queen of the Moonlit Tears
Summary: How would you feel if you found out your best friends ...were your grandparents? Would you be able to deal with that, a secret love, and your 7th year exams? Well Harry has dealt with worse hasnt he?HD, RHG, and SnapeNM
1. We have a Secret

**Chapter One: WE have a secret**

It was a normal day at Hogwarts the students were hurrying from class to class and complaining about the amount of homework they were getting. It was almost time for the end of the year exams, and everyone was nervous about passing especially our main characters, which are in their final year.

"You know guys I am glad we're in our final year. Its going to be interesting to see how we do in life after school." Were the first words that came out of Harry's mouth as the three of them made their way down to Hagrids for some tea.

"That's a good question Harry. I have been wondering that for a while myself. I am hoping that I can get a job at the ministry." Hermione replied. Her reply however wasn't what either one of them was thinking she would say. With all of the problems she thought there were with the ministry, and they heard her say she wanted to work there. It was a bit of a shock.

"I kind of want to work with my dad. He may not be the highest up on the food chain, but I think working with him might be a good opportunity for me." Was all Ron would say. He seemed lost in thought and had been like that for quite some time now.

After that brief exchange the three of them continued the trek down to Hagrids in silence. All of the people who watched them go could tell something was wrong. The three friends were usually seen all around campus laughing and joking. Now they were all solemn and deep in thought. Even the haughty Draco Malfoy decided today wasn't the day to mess with these three. Only two people knew what was wrong, and those two were in the group. After what seemed like hours the three finally made it down to Hagrids hut.

"Hello you three. Something seems wrong, care to tell old' Hagrid about it?" Like always Hagrid was genuinely concerned about the three in front of him. He has loved them like children of his own since he met them almost seven years ago.

"Maybe later Hagrid how about that tea. It's pretty chilly out there." Ron seemed very distracted as he said this, but he said it with all of the same emotions he usually did. Even having known Hagrid since he began here at Hogwarts he wasn't always prepared for some of the creatures he brought in. None of them were really used to it.

"Why o'course you can. Get in here you're right it is pretty cold." Hagrid moved out of the way so that Harry, Ron, and Hermione could come into his small hut.

"We're glad you could have us over Hagrid. It's been a while since we have had time to spend with you. Sorry about that Hagrid. There was even more homework this year than I expected." Hermione said giving Hagrid the usual smile, and sitting down at the table.

"Oh that's all right 'Hermione. I didn't expect this year to be all fun and games. I mean you have a lot of exams ter pass if you want to get out o' here." Hagrid said pouring the four of them some tea and then sitting down.

"You know Hagrid I think that we should have tried to make more time. It isn't right of us to spend so much time away from someone who has been so good to us." Harry said. He seemed kind of annoyed.

"It's really ok Harry I understand that you're very busy." Hagrid said taking a rather large gulp of his tea.

"If you say so. I still don't think it is right of us to have taken us so long to get down here and see you." Harry mumbled into his tea.

After a few hours of conversation and a good lunch they said their goodbyes and headed back up to the Gryffindor common room to start on yet another thousand pounds of homework.

"Password?" The fat lady said as soon as they were in front of her.

"Horn bill." They all said at once. This hadn't been the first time they had done this recently. They were so out of it.

As they all climbed in all of the people that were coming out moved out of their way, and the whispering began. No one knew what was wrong. They were just suspecting that finally the three of them were having the love triangle problem that everyone had been expecting since the third year.

"You know I think I am just going to head up to bed. I am not feeling so great tonight." Harry said running his hand through his hair.

"You sure Harry? We have a lot of work to get done." Ron said looking up from his blank roll of parchment.

"Yeah I'm sure Ron. I really don't feel up to doing any homework right now." Harry said continuing on his way to the staircase up to the boy's dormitory.

"Ok. Well… I guess we'll see you in the morning then Harry. Sleep Well." Hermione said. She seemed worried about Harry. He had been acting differently as of late.

She was right too. Harry had been acting a lot differently as of late. He seemed pretty withdrawn and quiet. He had spent a lot of time recently with Professor Dumbledore. The only thing that seemed weird about that was the fact that Harry always seemed to come back more confused than when he left. Hermione didn't know what to do. Ron was withdrawn, but she knew why that was. And now her other best friend Harry was more out of it than she had ever seen him be in her life. She was at a loss, but she had to concentrate on getting some work done otherwise she would never get it all done.

"Oh well I guess I need to buckle down and concentrate a little bit more." Hermione said as she poured over her ancient runes homework.

"Hermione I think I am going to head to bed to. All of us have class first thing in the morning." Ron said standing up and stretching. He didn't even look at her as he began to walk away after packing up his bag.

"Ron wait, aren't we ever going to talk about this. Don't you think it's important?" She said looking up from her homework to give him a scared look.

"I know it's important. I am just not sure how we're going to talk about it Hermione. Isn't it a little bit late?" He looked angry and scared. He was very frustrated. It was so hard keeping this secret from people. It was about time they told someone, and he decided that they had to tell Dumbledore tomorrow.


	2. Is it too Late?

**Chapter Two: Is it too late?**

"It's never to late Ron. We have to tell someone. I don't know what to do anymore. This secret is not only tearing apart our relationship, but it is tearing our relationship apart with Harry. We have all been friends for too long, and now be the time for us to just give up." Hermione said. She was almost in tears she was at a loss. She didn't want to lose either one of these two. They were almost everything to her, but how could she ever tell Harry what they had done.

"I don't know what to do Hermione. I think we need to tell Professor Dumbledore. He has all the answers and could probably help us too. I am not going to let this tear us apart. I love you, and you know that. I also won't let this stupid secret tear me and my best mate apart. We have been together longer than you and I have." Ron said he was thinking hard and the small lines on his forehead began to show in the small light given off by the almost extinguished fire.

"Oh Ron, that's brilliant I wouldn't have thought about telling Professor Dumbledore. Lets hope he can help us otherwise nothing will ever be the same." The distraught was heard in her voice. She was nervous.

"I have been thinking about going to see him about it for some time now. I am scared Hermione. I don't want to lose you or my best mate. This whole situation is beginning to make us all fall apart. I hate it." He said. This was getting to all of them more than they knew. Harry suspected that those two were trying to let him down easily and trying to figure out why he had been going to see Professor Dumbledore for so long. This whole situation was beginning to take a tole on all of them.

"Well I hope more than anything right now that he can help us. I don't want to lose either of you Ron." She said standing up and walking over to him, and reaching for his hand which he willingly gave to her.

"I know how you feel. I don't want to lose either of you. It would suck royally to have to choose between my best mate, and the girl that I love." Ron said squeezing her hand and pulling her into a hug.

"I love you too, Ron, and you know that. I don't think I can lose you. This could end up tearing us apart. I am so afraid this is going to make me lose you for good." She said as she started to cry.

"No, I promise you that I will stay here with you. Nothing will make me leave you. I love you; just remember that next time that fear enters your head." Ron said putting his finger under her chin and leaning her face up to give her quick kiss.

"I'm glad that you said that. It takes some of the fear away, but not all of it." She said after the small sweet kiss was over. After that she stepped back and looked him over once. Everyone always asked her why she hadn't stayed with Victor Krum. She knew it was because she had always loved Ron, and he made her feel special, but she didn't know how to describe it to anyone else. All Hermione could say was that Ron was all she needed right now, and forever.

"I didn't expect it to erase your fears I just wanted to try and make you feel better. I hope I did." Ron said pulling her back to him and holding her close for a minute.

"You really did help. A lot more than I think you realize." She said looking up into his eyes and giving him a smile.

"It's nice to see you smile. I haven't seen that on you in so long I was beginning to think I never would again." He said stepping back knowing he should go to bed.

"I'm glad you like it. I was glad to give you something so trivial." She said looking back at the table where all of her homework lay all over.

"A smile means more than you think it does. It makes me have hope in what we have to do. Meet me down here early tomorrow morning, so we can go and talk to the Professor before Harry wakes up." Ron said moving back a few more steps towards the Boys Dormitory.

"Alright I'll go up to bed in a little bit I have to get a little bit more work done. I'll meet you down here as early as I can. Lets hope the Professor is up when we get there." She said walking back to the table and sitting down.

"Yeah let's hope so. Night Hermione." Ron said as he opened the door and began the ascent to the 7th year boy's dormitory.

"Night Ron. Sleep well." She said getting back to all of her homework hoping to get at least two things more done. Little did she realize that she would spend about three more hours getting the homework done. After that she hurried upstairs to get some sleep knowing that she only had a few hours before she had to go see Professor Dumbledore and tell him the biggest secret in her life.," I don't know how I am going to tell Professor Dumbledore about this. What if it gets us expelled? I don't think I could deal with that. I need to graduate from here so I can work for the ministry. Or even worse…if Mrs. Weasley finds out she might not let me see Ron anymore. I know I wouldn't be able to handle that." All Hermione could dream about all night was Ron's mother telling her that she could no longer see the only guy that she loved.


	3. The Meeting and Two Secrets Emerge

**Chapter Three:****The Meeting and Two Secrets emerge**

At 6:00a.m. Ron and Hermione met in the Gryffindor Common Room and begin the trek to the gargoyle in front of Professor Dumbledore's office. When they finally got there they hesitated.

"Are you going to give me the password, or are you going to stand there and stare at me?" The gargoyle said getting annoyed by their silence.

"Give us a minute we were trying to remember the password." Ron said getting annoyed with the gargoyles impatience.

"Lemon Whips." Hermione said not letting the two of them continue their fight.

"Correct. You may now pass into the headmaster's office." The gargoyle said springing to life and moving out of their way so they could climb onto the spiral staircase.

"I'm very nervous. I don't understand why we have to do this now. Couldn't it wait a few more days?" Ron said the nervousness was evident in his voice. He seemed distracted and quite melancholy.

"I know your nervous Ron, but this is something we should have gone to the headmaster a long time ago with this." All Hermione did was relive her dreams from the night before and that made her even more adamant on telling the headmaster. She knew this could force her into losing Ron forever, but she knew it would be better to tell someone than to try and keep it a secret.

"Well you don't seem very convinced yourself. Is there something you're not telling me?" Ron asked more than a bit worried now. He was downright distressed and it was more than evident in the way he walked and his voice.

"It's nothing really just a dream I had last night. I couldn't hide anything really. I'm not very good at hiding things." She said looking him dead in the eyes so he knew she wasn't lying to him.

"Oh…ok if you're sure." Ron said looking straight ahead. He squeezed her hand and they finally got off at the top landing.

"I'm more than sure. Everything in that department is fine." She said looking at him wondering what was going on in that head of his.

"Good. Let's hurry and tell the headmaster before I change my mind." Ron said knocking on the door to the headmaster's office.

On the inside of the office the headmaster was already awake and working on some paperwork when he hears the knock on his door." Come in.", they heard the headmaster say. So they did, they walked right in and waited to be asked to sit down.

"Well this is quite the lovely surprise. I never expected to see students in my office so early." Professor Dumbledore said politely as always." Well please come and sit. You both seem very perplexed and a little scared." The deep lines in the headmaster's forehead showed greatly.

"Sorry to bother you so early Professor but we have a problem and could use your advice." Hermione said trying to keep her voice level.

"No trouble at all Miss Granger. Why don't you two sit down and tell me about your problem. You both seem more solemn than I have ever seen you two before. What could be troubling two young souls so greatly that they seemed to have lost all traces of youth?" Professor Dumbledore said staring at them. He seemed to be trying to look into them and see what ailed them.

"Are you sure Professor we could come back later?" Hermione said seeming to move back towards the door under the pressure of Dumbledore's gaze.

"Yeah Professor we can come back after some of our classes." Ron said grabbing Hermione's hand and beginning to walk backwards towards the door.

"No… you two please sit down. I can tell something is greatly troubling you and I would like to be able to help in anyway that I can." Dumbledore said coming around his desk and showing them to the two seats in front of his desk." Now would one of you please tell me what's wrong?" The professor seemed very confused, but at the same time his aged eyes seemed to be probing their minds for any sign of what might be wrong.

"Well the problem professor is with Harry." Hermione said and she began to choke on the words as she said them.

"He hasn't mentioned you in any of our discussions. I didn't think you were really anything to do with his problems. I thought it was all Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore said looking at them.

"What does Malfoy have to do with any of this?" Ron said looking incredulously at Dumbledore.

"Well you being Mr. Potters best friends I expect you to be supportive of his love for Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said looking at Ron with a rather scornful look.

"HIS WHAT!" Ron said looking from Hermione to Dumbledore with a look that spelled out pure shock.

"Mr. Weasley are you trying to tell me that Mr. Potter hadn't informed you that he thought he may be falling in love with Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore said his eyes getting big.

"That's right. He never said anything like that to me. I would have thought he was kidding after everything those two has been through together." Ron said looking back at the headmaster thinking he couldn't possibly be telling the truth.

"No Ron he isn't kidding. Everything he says about Mr. Malfoy is quite genuine. I believe it to be almost as true as you love for Miss Granger." Dumbledore said his eyes looking contemplative as always." And now I would greatly appreciate one of you telling me why you are here."

"Headmaster as you know I was given a time turner because I take so many classes. Well I used it for more than just classes this year. We, I mean Ron and I used it to save ourselves of a lot of trouble." She began slowly.

"What did you use it for Miss Granger?" The professor asked calmly, he didn't seem angry at all…merely interested in what the time turner had been used for.

"Ron and I went back in time and became Harry's grandparents. We are the parents of James Potter!" She blurted out hoping that she had said it just slow enough for him to hear.

"Miss Granger you must be mistaken James Potter's parents never gave us any inclination that their son was not by blood theirs." Professor Dumbledore seemed to be thinking hard over what she had just said.

"That's because they didn't know. Their son died in the hospital and I lay our son in the bed so that no one would think anything of it. The Potter's took home the baby they thought to be James Potter. They never even knew that their son wasn't really theirs. Ron and I went back that far in time so no one would know that I was having a child. You see professor we are already afraid that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley wont allow us to get married. Or at least I am, and we both knew that they would never approve of their youngest son having a child while he was still in school. So we went back and gave up our son. That's why Harry is alive today professor. We are Harry Potter's grandparents. He's our best friend. We are afraid if we tell him this he won't speak to us anymore." Hermione said and began to cry into her hands. This secret hurt her so much. She gave up her and her loves child so that they wouldn't get into trouble, and now she regretted it more than anything else.

"So what you're telling me is that if I tested yours and Harry's DNA it would be exactly the same on one half?" Dumbledore was having so much trouble believing it. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were Harry Potter's grandparents.

"Yes Professor. I wouldn't be able to lie about something like this. I wish I had never given up my son. I regret it more every day." She said placing her head in her hands and crying yet again.

"Wait… did I miss something here? WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER?" Ron said coming out of the shock of Harry being in love with Malfoy.

"Nothing Mr. Weasley she is simply crying out the regret of not having raised your child. Now both of you listen to me Harry needs to know about this no matter how hard it is going to be. I also believe that telling both of your parents is necessary. What I would really like to know however, is why you chose to hide this by going into the past." Dumbledore said not looking stern but more like a concerned parent.

"I convinced Ron to do it because I was afraid Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would make him leave me Professor. I couldn't bear to lose him so I asked him if we could go back long enough for me to have the child. Ron agreed. I never knew that when we got back here we would be out best friend's grandparents. I … I feel horrible." She said the tears coming in a fresh torrent as she stood up to leave.

"Miss Granger I understand you fear losing the one you love, but that is no reason to hide your child. That doesn't seem like something someone in love would do. What were you really afraid of? If you loved Mr. Weasley like you said you did it wouldn't matter what was going to happen you would have kept your son as a sign of love." Dumbledore said in a tone that seemed to be thinking rather than actually speaking.

"If you say so Professor. I just want to be able to look Mrs. Weasley in the face and tell her I did it because I didn't want to lose Ron." Hermione said as the tears finally stopped and she looked him in the eyes with a fierceness no one would have expected from her.

"Headmaster, this isn't all her fault and you are treating her as if she is the only one to blame. I had more than my fair hand in this. I will make sure the owls are sent out soon to tell our parents, and then I have something I need to do." Ron said standing up and holding his hand out for Hermione. He was very upset with the way the headmaster had treated her in this conversation." Don't forget to call us if you want to do the DNA testing." He threw in as he began to walk away.

"I know all to well that it isn't all her fault, and I am glad I don't have to be the one to tell them for you Ronald. I will come to you in a few days for the DNA sample then. Good Day you two." Dumbledore said giving a flick of his wrist to signal the end of the meeting.


	4. An Uncomfortable Day

_Chapter Four: An Uncomfortable day _

They both nod their heads in agreement as they descend the stair case and head back to the common room to get Harry to go breakfast. To their surprise Harry was no where to be seen. The only guess they could come up with is that he was already down there. The meeting with Professor Dumbledore had taken a lot more time than they had hoped it as almost 8:00 a.m. If they didn't hurry they wouldn't get any breakfast , and they would more than likely be late for class and that wasn't an option seeing as it was double potions and then double transfiguration both of which they had to endure the company of the Slytherins. This was bound to be one of the worst mornings of the term. They hurried down the corridor and to the Great Hall taking all of the short cuts that they could remember. When they got down there however they were a bit peeved to see that Harry wasn't there. Where could he be?

Little did they know Harry hadn't even gotten out of bed yet. He was so confused on where he stood with Draco that he couldn't seem to move. He knew that he loved him, but what was he supposed to do about it….there was no way in hell that Draco Malfoy would ever feel the same way about him. The snottiest Slytherin and he had to be madly in love with him. Damn his luck, first he had to be some popular guy because his parents had been killed. He had been left with a family that no sooner wanted him than they did a hole in the head and now he was irrevocably in love with someone who would never in this lifetime…or any for that matter return his feelings. What was the matter with him anyway? I mean look at Ron and Hermione they were so deeply in love it made him sick sometimes, but don't get him wrong he was happy they had finally gotten together.

When Harry finally saw the time he knew if he didn't hurry he was going to be late for his potions class. He didn't want to go because for the seventh year in a row the Slytherins and Gryffindors had been paired together to be in the potions class at the same time, and of course it was a double period followed by double transfiguration. It was a royal pain in the ass. Harry felt like he was being tortured on purpose by his instructors. The only class he didn't have with Draco was charms because Draco didn't take it. They even had all of the same free periods and they always seemed to run into each other. This year he didn't always have Crabbe and Goyle with him so more often than not he was by himself brooding when they ran into each other. Last time they almost kissed and it pissed Harry off that he was the one that moved.

" Damn my accursed timing." Harry said as he rushed out of bed and into his robes. He had 20 minutes to make it from the Gryffindor Common Room down to the dungeons for potions. Harry knew all to well that if he didn't sprint he wasn't going to make it. So he hurried up and began the long sprint down to the dungeons and his double period with Draco, and the "lovely:" Snape.

While Harry was sprinting down the stairs Ron and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall talking in hushed whispers.

" Ron which one of us is going to tell him? I mean Harry has to know that his aunt and uncle aren't his only family. He deserves to live with people that love him. Your parents will be more than happy to take him in, but we have to tell them about it first." Hermione whispered she was distraught and looked very perturbed.

" We'll tell him together after we talk to mum and dad. I'll send an owl to them during my first free period asking them to come up on our first Hogsmede weekend. Then if they say it's ok we'll tell Harry and then he can plan on moving in with me." Ron said in a hushed tone but he seemed much more optimistic about the whole situation than Hermione did.

Then again he should be the headmaster hadn't just called him a liar and refused to believe something that hurt so much to say let alone lie about. He didn't believe her at all, and that hurt more than anything else because she had never lied to him before why should she start now? She needed to talk to Professor McGonagall she would believe her. She was the only female teacher that Hermione trusted. Maybe she could help with the dilemma they had put themselves into.

" Ok. We should get going to potions. I am going to grab Harry some food just incase he didn't make it down here in time." Hermione said looking along the table before stuffing some food into a napkin and placing it in her pocket.

" Yeah your right we probably should get going. None of us can afford to be late to Snape's class he isn't one to mess with these days. He is even harder on us now that we are only going to be here for him to torture for this year." Ron said holding out his hand to her and getting some rather encouraging stares from Ginny she was so happy that those two had finally asked each other out. They both needed someone to bad they didn't realize until this last summer that they had wanted to date all along.

Ron and Hermione both smiled back at Ginny and Neville who she had been dating for over two years now. They were so happy it was cute. Finally all of them were happy except Harry, and now Ron and Hermione knew why. They were now bound and determined to help Harry in any way they could even though Ron didn't approve of who it was. I mean come on of all people Harry was in love with Malfoy. Who'd have thought it? Certainly not Ron, but oh well he knew what it was like to fall in love and not know how it happened.

As they were leaving the Great Hall Ron and Hermione saw Harry about halfway down the long staircase." Hey Harry I got you some breakfast." Hermione called up to him.

" Thanks sorry I didn't meet you guys down there I over slept." Harry said joining them down on the bottom level and walking with them the rest of the way to potions.

" I know what that feels like." Ron said walking hand in hand with Hermione and watching Harry closely.

" You guys didn't have to wait for me though. I mean it isn't right of me to make us all late." Harry said in between bites of the food Hermione had given to him.

" It's ok Harry. We don't mind at all." Hermione said giving him a warm smile." Its good to see that you didn't sleep through potions Snape would have killed you." She said in a joking tone and the two boys joined in laughing with her.

Even though they were laughing things were still off with these once perfect friends. Two secrets that they new of at this point threatened to ruin the bond they had. Harry was so unsure of what they would say that he was afraid to tell them. Where as Ron and Hermione were afraid that their secret would make Harry hate them for the rest of their known lives. What great ways for friends to be thinking.

They got into the dungeons just as the bell rang for class to begin and they were relieved to see that Snape wasn't in the dungeons yet. Unfortunately however they all caught Draco Malfoy staring right at them, and as soon as he knew it was them he sauntered over to have what they thought would be yet another poetic exchange.

" Granger, can I ask you something in private?" Draco wasn't being mean this marked a turning point for him. What was even more shocking was the fact that he was asking Hermione for help. Since day one he had found her inferior because he was of pure descent and she wasn't.

" Yes I guess so." She said letting go of Ron's hand and walking away with Malfoy to have a private word.

" Your one of Potters best friends, and I need to ask your opinion on something." Draco began in an almost melancholy tone.

" Ask away. I'll even keep an open mind if you like, but I do need to be getting back to my seat soon." She said knowing that Snape would be here any minute and she didn't want to have to hear his voice any more than she had too.

"I want to know if there would ever be a chance for Potter and me to be together." He said quickly but clearly. You could tell it had taken a lot to get him to ask it.

" I think there is a good chance but you would have to be a bit nicer to him. Maybe even talk to him more than just insulting him." Hermione said. She couldn't be happier in her mind she as jumping for joy Harry could be just as happy as she and Ron.

" You might be right. I'll have to think about that one. Please keep this between us. I don't think I can handle any more crap right now." Draco said putting his hand out to shake hers.

" It's a deal. You talk to him when you want to." Hermione said shaking his hand and walking back to her seat in utter disbelief.

" What did he want to know?" Harry asked looking up from the essay he was going to hand into Snape.

" Just a question on the homework Harry. Nothing important really. I don't understand why he asked me though." She said getting her cauldron ready and also getting out her essay.

" That is pretty weird." Both Ron and Harry said at the same time and had a good laugh about it later.

After they finished that thought Snape walked in so they fell silent. No one wanted to get on his bad side these days. He seemed to be in an even worse mood than every other year. The only guess that anyone had was that he got passed up for the job he truly wanted yet again. It really did seem to peeve him. Snape tapped the board twice with his wand and then turned to his class of seventh years.

" This is your assignment. I expect a sample by the end of the period, and an essay about the properties of the potion on my desk by tomorrow. Now get to work." He said to the class and then turned and went into his private chambers.

While everyone was moving to get the ingredients for the potion Harry had gotten lost in a day dream of him and Draco kissing by the lake and didn't move at all. It wasn't until Draco's voice was right next to him did he jump what seemed like 50 feet in the air.

" What the hell was that for Malfoy?" Harry said finally looking at the board and groaning at the look of the potion they had to make. He glanced over at Hermione who was already beginning as was half the class.

" What are you talking about Potter? I didn't do anything." Draco sneered and his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle laughed along with him. As they did that Hermione gave Draco a look that said" That really isn't the way to start getting him on your good side."

Harry thought about it and realized Draco really hadn't done anything this time so Harry backed off and went to get the necessary ingredients for the potion.

From the table Ron and Hermione watched Harry and Draco from the corners of their eyes. Ron couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to be sick or whether to push the two of them together, and he didn't even know the true meaning of Malfoy's talk with Hermione. Hermione was just hoping that someday those two would finally realize that they loved each other. Draco had unknowingly been stalking Harry since the day he stepped into Hogwarts and it had only gotten worse as the years went on. Those two were perfect for each other but they were both so stubborn it would be almost impossible to get them together…or would it? She was going to have to think about this one but she was going to do whatever it took to get Harry and Draco together.

Just as that thought went through her mind she realized she was interfering in her grandson's love life and the tears welled up faster than she expected. All she could do to stop the questions was leave the dungeons. Right now she didn't really care if Snape decided to give her detention or anything like that. All she cared about was getting this whole situation dealt with.

"I really need to get my emotions under control. I can't keep crying like this in front of Harry he might think this is his fault." She said to herself as she walked along the corridors.

In the dungeons however Harry wasn't paying any attention he was busy staring at the back of Draco's head yet again. He found himself imagining running his fingers through the white-blonder locks." What am I thinking? Like that would ever happen. Malfoy would no sooner be that close to me than he would drink veritaserum on purpose." At this thought Harry had to laugh. Nobody ever drank veritaserum on purpose. Not even a total git like Malfoy.

"Harry, we really should get to work. Snape just got back in here." Ron said making Harry come out of his thoughts.

"Your right Ron. We really don't want any more detentions with Snape." Harry said reading the ingredients on the board and finally got busy putting the lousy potion together.

After Harry got back he realized Hermione was gone." Ron, where'd Hermione go? Snape is going to be a bloody great mess if he notices she is gone." Harry said in a whisper as he continued making the potion and making side glances at Malfoy.

"She got up and left about ten minutes ago. Looks like she left in a hurry too. We better try and finish her potion as well. We can't let her get in trouble." Ron said looking at all of Hermione's stuff and he began to worry about her.

"Yeah she is never in trouble. You know there is no way we could pass our potion off as Hermione's. She is way better at this class than we are." Harry said trying no to mess up his concentration on the three things he was doing. Two of which concerned Malfoy, but that wasn't the point.

"Your right we could never pull it off. I bet this would be the first zero in any teacher's book for her." Ron said. He was really worried now. Hermione …his Hermione was ditching a class. She would never do something like this. What was wrong? Hell if he knew. He never was really good at figuring that out…especially if she wasn't here to ask.

"Your right Ron. Hermione has always been such a good student. This is going to come as a shock to all of the teachers. Are you ok… I mean you seem really distracted?" Harry said looking over at Ron with a concerned expression on his face.

" Yeah I'm ok. I was just wondering where Hermione could have gone." Ron said looking at Harry.

" Ok. Let's get back to work then. Maybe she'll be able to sneak back in." Harry said going back into working on the potion.

Meanwhile in the third floor passage Hermione was finishing crying." I need to stop this bloody blubbering it isn't getting me anywhere. I am going to be in so much trouble. Snape is going to hang me for just leaving his class, but I honestly don't care. My only concern right now is getting Draco and Harry together. If I can talk to him on the way to transfiguration I think I have just the plan to get those two alone together." She thought as she headed up to the hospital wing to have an excuse for leaving the dungeons.

" I never expected to see you out of class so early Miss Granger." Madame Pomfrey.

" I wasn't feeling so well Madame Pomfrey I was hoping you had something for a headache." Hermione lied trying to pass it off like that.

" Yes I do. Here drink this." Madame Pomfrey said walking around her desk and handing her a small vial of blue liquid.

" Thanks Madame Pomfrey." Hermione said." Could you please give me a note to get back into Professor Snape's class? He will be wondering why I'm not there."

" Here you go dearie off to class with you. That potion will take effect in about 15 minutes." Madame Pomfrey said pushing Hermione out the door with the note and going back to her desk.

Just as Hermione was leaving the Hospital Wing Snape realized that she was gone, and as he did that he walked up behind Potter and Weasley ," Would either of you mind telling me where Miss Granger is?" Snape said in his deadly cold voice.

" We were just wondering that ourselves Professor." Harry said not looking up from his cauldron.

" Oh is that so Potter? Are you trying to tell me that you her best friends have no clue where she is?" Snape said the disbelief in his voice was evident.

" Yes." Harry said.

Before Snape could say anything else Hermione walked in and right up to Snape" Here professor this will account for my not being in your class." Hermione said re-taking her seat and began to re-work her potion.

Snape quickly read over the note and crumbled it. He was very upset that he couldn't give her a punishment. She had proof that she was out of the dungeons for a good reason. She had just gone to the Hospital Wing. "Damn" Snape found himself thinking he really wanted to punish Granger. So with that he stalked back to his desk and began to grade the essays they had turned in today.

Within a half hour of her return Hermione had bottled up her sample and taken it to Snape's desk. On her way back she dropped a small piece of paper unto the desk next to Malfoy.

" That was awfully fast Hermione." Ron said looking up at her with a look that said" What's wrong?".

" I always work fast Ron. You just never noticed before." She said cleaning up her area and beginning on the essay that was due with the potion.

" You're probably right." Ron said.

" Hermione…can you help us with this please?" Harry said he had lost track of his thoughts and didn't know what to do anymore.

" Yes." Hermione said getting up and fixing there potion." Just let it boils up for about ten minutes and then take the sample up there."

As those ten minutes passed Draco finally realized the small piece of paper that was by his elbow. " I wonder where this came from." He found himself thinking and opened it to have a look.

_Draco,_

_I have a plan to help you get Harry. It isn't going to be easy, but I am sure it will work. Wait for me after potions are over and I will tell you more about it if you're interested._

_Hermione._

Draco turned around after reading that and gave Hermione a look that said "ok" she knew exactly what he meant and just nodded.

Draco was excited he wanted to be with Harry more than he let on. He had loved him from the first year and only found out about it this summer after seeing him in Flourish and Blots. He realized how bad he had missed Harry Potter. He had tried to convince himself that it wasn't true that he hated Potter now just as much as he always had, and that's when it hit him he had never hated Potter he had always loved him. Oh that was great. His sworn enemy and he wanted him as his lover…..how was he ever going to tell his father? God knows Luscious would never forgive him. The sound of the bell snapped Draco out of that thought and he hurried bottled a sample and waited for Hermione.

" Draco I'd like to have a word with you please." Snape said Just as Draco caught Hermione.

" Professor can't it wait? I have to get to Transfiguration." Draco said as Hermione slipped out the door.

" I'll write you a pass it will only take a minute." Snape said. His tone wasn't the usual cold and melancholy one it was warm and almost fatherly.

" Alright Professor." Draco said hoping that Hermione had waited outside the door for him.

" Never mind. It isn't important. Here's your pass." Snape said handing him a piece of paper.

" Thanks Professor."Draco said as he hurried out of the dungeons and was happy to see that Hermione had waited for him.

" I know my plan is going to sound crazy, but I really want to see you and Harry happy together." Hermione said as Draco and she hurried up to the transfiguration room.

" Alright tell me it. I am more than interested in any way that can get me closer to Potter." Draco said in a hushed voice.

" Alright…." Hermione began telling him her plan and Draco just smiled and nodded as she went further into it." So do you think you're up for it?" She asked looking at him.

" I believe that is the best plan I have heard. I'm in." Draco said as they rounded the corner to Transfiguration.

" Good. I'll try to get everything set up soon. I really hope this works." Hermione said.

" Yeah… me too. Do you mind if I call you Hermione instead of Granger? I mean your helping me it just doesn't seem right to call you by your last name." Draco said looking at her.

" No I would like that a lot." Hermione said sticking out her hand so they could shake on it.

" I'm glad you feel that way, Hermione." Draco said shaking her hand.

After there handshake they hurried into the classroom. The next double period was just like the last. Harry staring at Draco and Hermione and Ron watching the two of them. This went on through all the classes they had together and all of the free periods too. Even though Draco knew he was being stared at him never turned around. He didn't mind Harry staring at him. He rather enjoyed it, but he didn't know why he was staring at him. All well you can't win them all.

" Mr. Potter…please pay attention. This is a very important lesson." Professor McGonagall said, and that was the last thing Harry heard before her feel asleep and spent the rest of the double period dreaming about Draco Malfoy.


	5. Chapter 5: Who Would Have Guessed?

**Chapter 5: Who would have guessed?**

After transfiguration was over Ron, Harry, and even Draco had their first free period of the day. Hermione on the other hand had more classes to get to so she rushed away saying only a brisk goodbye. To Ron and Harry's surprise they swore they heard Hermione and Draco say goodbye to each other. Since when were they on good terms? Now isn't that a question for the ages? How could those two have become friends when Draco had only asked her a question about homework? Who knew?

Before Ron knew what he was doing he was approaching Draco about to confront him about this rather weird situation." Malfoy we need to talk." Was all Ron would say and he expected Draco to follow him around the corner into one of the niches, and preferably without his damn goons. To his surprise about five minutes later in to the niche sauntered Malfoy…alone.

"Alright Weasley make this quick. I have things to do." Draco said in his usual impatient and haughty voice.

"Look I need to know what you and Hermione talked about in potions this morning. I know there is no way you would make her leave to ask about a damn homework problem. So spill it…what the hell did you want?" Ron said. He wasn't exactly angry but he was appraising Malfoy for everything he was worth.

"I'm not telling you anything Weasley. I have things to do and much better people to be seen with so if you will…" but before Draco could finish his sentence Ron had him pinned to the wall of the niche.

"I want to know Malfoy, and this time it isn't a request. Tell me why you and Hermione were talking this morning." Ron said holding him against the wall.

"I already said I wasn't going to tell you Weasley now get the bloody hell off me." Malfoy said. It was clear that he was uncomfortable he didn't seem scared but more disturbed.

"Well too bad because I am not letting you go until you tell me." Ron retorted the anger in his voice was hidden by the thick contempt for being so close to Malfoy especially knowing how Harry felt about him.

Before Ron knew it Malfoy was kicking him in the stomach and running off down the hall. Of course Ron wanted to catch him to get the real story but the searing pain in his gut told him not to move for a minute." Damn….knew I should have pinned his legs down." Ron thought laughing to himself, but before he could do anything else he realized it was time to send the damn letter that could end everything he had worked so hard for." Oh well its better that it happens now." He mumbled as he got to his feet holding his ribs he began the long walk up to the owlry.

In the opposite direction Harry had decided that he would go down to the lake to rest before he had to go to his next class. Which for him was conveniently over two periods away, and he knew for a fact that it was the same for Draco. When Harry saw Draco rush past him he called out not realizing what he was doing," Draco wait!"

To his surprise Draco stopped and turned to look at him," what do you want Potter?" Draco said he was clearly nervous or angry sometimes it was hard to tell with him.

Harry didn't say anything he just moved closer to him. Draco seemed to stiffen a bit but when Harry reached out and put his hand on Draco's shoulder and steered him towards a secret passage Draco melted he wasn't like a statue he was just… well nervous. Once under the stairs Draco was waiting for the interrogation to begin again, but this time by Harry. He must have been seeing things Draco could have sworn he saw Harry breathing just as heavily as his own heart was pounding.

"Is there something you wanted Potter?" Draco said trying to keep his voice steady. He was nervous but he didn't have to show it, after all he was a Malfoy.

"Yeah Draco this" And with that Harry leaned in and pressed his lips lightly to Draco's giving him a kiss that was almost like a feather touching his lips. Draco instinctively reached out and brought Harry closer to him. The kiss deepened, and they both knew it was like…magic, but for some damn reason Draco pulled away and punched him.

"What the hell are you doing Potter? Trying to make me ill?" Draco said moving away from Harry and towards the entrance that he had been brought through a few minutes ago.

Harry couldn't answer all he knew was that kissed proved it for him. He had to make Draco Malfoy his, but how the hell was he supposed to do that? He was going to need Hermione's help, but how could he bring himself to ask her something that he had been trying to hide? Why had he been so reckless and tried to push himself on Draco like that? Damn his stupid fucking impulses.

While Harry was left brooding Ron had finally made it to the owlry. He didn't know how he was going to ask his parents up here and make them not get suspicious, but he had to try. This was very important not only to him, but to Hermione…and unknowingly Harry. As he was thinking about it Ron realized that this was going to be harder for him than the N.E.W.T.S. at the end of the year. "Never thought I would find something that scared me more than those tests." He mumbled as he settled against the stone wall to write the letter.

"Where should I begin? Mom and dad didn't even seem worried when I had been gone for a long time. They figured Harry Hermione and I were having another one of our grand adventures. How am I supposed to betray their trust like that?" Ron said looking down at the piece of parchment in his hands wondering how to tell him parents everything. How to tell them that he had, had a son who was murdered by Voldemort himself? It wasn't going to be easy he thought, but as he began he realized he only had to get them to come to Hogsmede he could tell them the rest there.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have a short request. Hermione and I need to talk to you really bad. We would like you to come to Hogsmede on the first weekend which is in a two weeks. Please send and owl with your answer as soon as you get this.

Ron

He attached the short letter to the leg of his owl pig, and watched as he flew off into the morning sky." Sometimes I envy you pig. You have it so easy being an owl." Ron thought to himself. He was already nervous about his parents reply. If he was nervous about that what was he going to do when the time came for him to tell them the whole story? He didn't even want to think about it. So to keep himself distracted he hurried out of the owlry and began the decent to the main floor so he could go sit under his favorite tree. When he finally made it to the tree he realized how exhausted he was and sat down to rest, but fell asleep fast.

Meanwhile in the castle Draco was going over the plan he and Hermione were going to use to get he and Harry together. He didn't know why he had moved away Harry had been all over him and it had felt nice, but damn it he had gotten scared that it might not be real so he pushed him off and ran. Malfoy's don't run from their problems; he could just hear his dad telling him that.

"I really hope Hermione's plan works. I don't think I can wait a whole lot longer for Potter to be mine, and mine alone." Draco found himself thinking as he made his way down to the Slytherin Common Room. He only had one more class left, and that wasn't for another 3 hours so he decided it would be nice to get that damn essay for Snape's class done." I don't understand why the hell he has to give us so much homework. He treats all of the other classes so much better." Draco said complaining as he began the essay on the Wolfs Bane Drought.

Now where did this leave Harry? Draco back in Slytherin and Ron outside asleep? Harry was still under the stairs wondering why he had kissed Draco at all. He knew he had wanted to so bad, but he should have known better than too kiss Malfoy. It wasn't worth it for a few seconds of something amazing he kept trying to tell himself, but Harry knew all too well that he had wanted that horribly.

Harry spent the rest of his free time brooding under the stairs. He wondered what he was going to do in the rest of his classes with Draco. He honestly didn't know. Probably spend more time staring at his white blonde hair. Wanting desperately to stroke it, but knowing that he couldn't get that close to him again. At least not that soon. Sure Harry loved Draco, but he knew now that Draco couldn't possibly feel the same way about him. He thought he had felt something in the kiss, but he guessed that it must have been his imagination playing tricks on him. He had wanted Draco to want him back so bad that he must have imagined the stupid electricity.

"Oh well. I should have put more thought into it. I know I want to make Draco mine, but I have to be more tactful." Harry said to himself as he made his way to his Charms class after all of his free time was used up.

On the way Harry ran into Hermione on her way to Ancient Runes," Hey Hermione I need to talk to you later please." Harry said stopping to get a reply from her.

" Ok Harry. We'll talk later, but right now I really have to go I cant be late to Ancient Runes." Hermione said looking him over. She seemed almost suspicious of him. Could she possibly already know what she wanted to talk to him about? No way Harry had done such a good job of hiding it.

Later that night Draco was still having trouble finishing his stupid essay so he decided he would just go talk to Snape about it. He didn't know what he was going to ask because he wasn't really thinking about it. He was still thinking about his kiss with Harry. It had been so amazing," So why the hell did you punch him Draco? You know you wanted it." He was thinking to himself on his way down to the potions class room.

" Damn you Harry….why the hell did you have to complicate things by kissing me?" Draco was yelling to himself. Before he realized it though some people were staring at him. He had been yelling the same phrase at himself over and over. " You have a damn problem? Get out of my way." He said he was pissed. People had no right to look at him like he was nuts. So just for looking at him like that the poor unsuspecting Ravenclaw 4th years had been given detention." Damn annoying girls getting in my way." Draco said as he continued down to Snape's office.

Meanwhile in Professor Snape's private chamber, Snape was sitting at his desk looking over papers waiting impatiently for his guest to arrive. He looked impatiently at his watch and then back at the papers trying to concentrate.

" She'll be here soon enough Severus….geese calm down." Snape said to himself. He was nervous. He had to tell her that he hadn't told Draco the truth like he had promised. " Damn my being a coward at that time." He said to himself as he looked at the clock for what looked like the 30th time.

Just as his true amount of impatience began to show the flames in the fire across the room from him became a beautiful emerald green color and the most beautiful woman in the world to him stepped out.

" Sorry I'm late. I got caught up finishing some last minute plans for a party at the manor." She said looking over to him. He was staring at her like always. Her white blonde hair was up in an elegant style held back by a pair of onyx and emerald encrusted chopsticks he had bought her for Christmas. Her eyes showed pure adoration as she looked over at the man she truly loved.

" I was beginning to think you weren't coming Narcissa." Snape said coming around his desk and taking her cloak off for her." I swear I get more and more impatient with all of the time we spend apart" Snape said as he pulled her into an embrace so sweet both of them blushed.

" Of course I was coming. I cant stay away Severus. You know I didn't want to marry Lucious. If I hadn't I would have turned out like Andromeda." Narcissa said staring into the eyes of her lover.

" I know love. I just hate the thought of you lying in bed with him at night. It makes me utterly ill. I know you have to do your duty as a wife, but you should be mine." Snape said a hint of possession and raw anger in his voice.

" Speaking of me being your wife did you tell Draco?" Narcissa asked. She could tell that he hadn't automatically because Snape let go of her and looked down at the emerald green carpet in his office.

" I'm so sorry Narcissa. I wanted to tell him but I chickened out. I am afraid he wont accept it. I don't want my only child to hate me." He said looking at her with eyes filled with pain.

" Its ok. Maybe we should tell him together. I mean it is important that he hears it from both of us. I am just glad Lucious hasn't found out yet. If he does we are both going to be in for a lot of trouble." Narcissa said looking over at him.

" About time I got down here." Draco said pushing open the door to Snape's classroom." Lets hope he's down here. I will be royally pissed if I have to go searching for him." Draco thought to himself, and as he was thinking that he heard voices coming from the cracked door to Snape's private chambers. One was unmistakably his and the others was….a woman's." Never thought my potions master would have a girlfriend." Draco said as he propped himself outside the door listening to the voices inside.

" Alright so tonight your going to send him a letter telling him to meet you in the Hogs Head in two weeks?" Snape said to the mystery woman.

" Yes. I will tell him, and he will meet us down there so we can tell him that you are his real father Severus." Came Narcissa's voice.

Draco couldn't believe what he had just heard. Snape was his father? Then why had he been living at Malfoy Manor his entire life? Why was his last name Malfoy and not Snape? Why had he been told that Lucious was his father? There were to many things going on right now. Draco couldn't handle all of the questions running through his head. His head was spinning now, and before he knew it he was turning and trying to run out of Snape's classroom. This was all too much fuck potions homework his whole world was being turned upside-down at every possible moment. The only thing that still made sense was his love for Harry." Lets hope that Hermione's plan works Harry. You're going to be the only thing that helps me through this." Draco said as he hurried up to dinner trying to act like nothing was wrong.

Once he made it to the main entrance Draco stopped to think about what he had heard down in the dungeons. He didn't know where to turn. Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't know how to help him and he's be damned before he'd go to Pansy. Just as he was continuing down the list he heard a voice behind him.

" Hey Draco. Are you ok? You seem like you could use someone to talk to." Hermione's voice sounded like music to him. She would be able to help him. Hermione was smart, and Draco didn't know why but he found himself trusting his newly found friend.

" Actually Hermione I do need someone to talk to. Mind if we go somewhere more private though. This is going to be one dozy of a problem for you to help me with" Draco said grabbing his head, and lightly shaking it.

" Of course we can go somewhere else." Hermione said taking Draco by the elbow and leading him to one of the hiding places on the main floor. After they got there Hermione sat patiently as Draco told her everything he had just heard happen between Snape and his mother. When he was finished Hermione sat there for a few minutes taking it all in. Draco sat there impatiently waiting for her to give him some genius advice.

" Well… at least you got rid of your prick of a guy you thought was your father." Hermione said shuddering at the thought of Lucious. He made her sick to her stomach.

" Is that all? Getting rid of my father? That's all you've got?" Draco said getting instantly pissed. He knew it wasn't right to blow up at Hermione like this but he couldn't help it. He needed someone to help him and he had no one else to go to.

" No that's not all. I was just giving you something I saw as a positive. For now your going to have to act like nothing happened. When you get the letter from your mother tell her you'll meet her and you'll have to seem surprised when they tell you in the Hogs Head. I'm sorry your going through all of this Draco. I wish there was more that I could do, just remember that if you need me I am always here." Hermione said as she got up and walked put going to find Ron who she knew would be impatiently waiting for her to go to dinner.

" Hermione wait." Draco said looking over to the entrance.

" Yeah?" Hermione said turning to look at him.

" Thanks… for everything. I'm glad that we have become friends. I don't know what I would do without you." Draco said giving her a genuine smile.

" Its nothing at all Draco. I'm glad I can be here to help. Now how about some dinner." Hermione said holding her hand out to help him up from the sitting position he was in.

Draco took it and was comforted by the fact that someone cared for him so much." Thanks Hermione. Yeah lets go to dinner. I don't think I want another run- in with Weasley. He went all crazy on me this morning." Draco said as they began the descent back to the main hall.

" What did he do?" She asked she seemed almost angry. Draco had never seen Hermione angry before. He guessed he wouldn't want to she was a powerful witch even if she was muggle born. As they continued their decent to the hall Draco told Hermione all about the confrontation with Ron in the niche." I'll talk to him about it Draco, but that means I have to tell him that we are friends. You don't mind do you?" Hermione said looking over at him.

" No I would rather you talk to him and have him leave me alone than keep up that situation." Draco said giving her one of his smirks.

" Alright then. Is there anything else you want to tell me before I go in there?" Hermione said leaning against the wall outside the Great Hall.

" Not that I can think of right now. If I need anything else I'll send my black owl Rain to you." Draco said.

" Alright then Draco I look forward to hearing from you." Hermione said and then turned and walked into the Great Hall leaving Draco alone with his still swimming thoughts.

" Why didn't I tell her bout Harry kissing me? Is it really that much of a secret? I mean she is helping me she has every right to know. I guess Rain is going to be doing some flying tonight." Draco said to himself, and walked into the Great Hall and over to his fellow Slytherins.


	6. The Return Letters and Veritaserum

Chapter 6:The Return Letters and Veritaserum

A few days' later things were beginning to get even more complicated between Draco and Harry. Hermione's plan was working perfectly. They had already had their" fight" about the mirror. It had gone down just like she had promised they had, had a shouting match down by the lake and then they were rolling around in the dirt, and just before Harry was going to hit him Draco felt something press into him. Before he could ask any questions Harry had run off all in a tizzy. It had been so cute to see him that way. Draco smirked to himself he had a good feeling as to what that something might have been" Don't worry Harry its ok. I would have rather had that something of yours somewhere else." He said to himself as he finished getting ready for classes. It was only one week before he had to meet Snape and his mother in the Hogs Head. The deadline was coming fast and he didn't know what to do. The letter his mother had promised to send hadn't come yet, and that worried him a little bit. He just hoped to god that Lucious hadn't found out about him not being Draco's real father. That would be the worst thing in the entire world. Just as these thoughts began to swim around in his head he looked up from the couch in the Slytherin common room to see his mother's owl, Garnet tapping on the window. She was a beautiful owl with deep red plumage and matching eyes. The bloody bird as most people called her was too intelligent for her own good, but it had saved Draco from Lucius more than once so he couldn't complain.

" So Garnet what do you have for me?" Draco said holding out his arm so the owl could come inside. Once in she held out her leg so Draco could take the letter addressed to him." Ahhhhh…I think I know what that is." He said taking the letter and conjuring some water up for the bird. Draco opened the letter apprehensively and read:

Draco

Draco I'm sorry that I haven't written to you in a long time. I have been busy with my duties here at the manor. I hope things are well at school. Tell me all about it. How are things with Harry? I know you were having some trouble telling him how you feel. Have you done it yet Draco? I know its hard to do things like that, but there is no better time than the present to do it. If you don't you might never see him again, and you will regret it for the rest of you life. Anyways son the real reason I have written to you is because I need you too meet me in the Hogs Head next weekend around noon it is very important. We have a few things that need to be set straight. I love you son.

Love,

Mom

Draco read the letter over a few times and decided to make his return letter short and too the point:

Mom

It's ok mom I didn't expect you to be able to write as much as you used to. With all the preparations for my upcoming birthday and my engagement ceremony. Mom please tell me you found a way to stop it, I don't want to be forced into a loveless marriage 1. With a girl since I'm gay and 2. Because I am madly in love with Harry. Nothing really interesting is going on here in school. Classes are boring as hell just as I suspected. No I cant tell Harry he will never return my feelings. Alright I'll meet you there at noon sharp. I love you too mom.

Love,

Draco

Draco tied the letter to Garnet and watched as she flew off into the night. He couldn't believe the letter had finally come. Now all he had to do was worry about how to make sure he took the news well.

200 miles away in Malfoy Manor

" How dare you, you conniving slut! HOW DARE YOU MARRY ME WHILE YOUR PREGNANT WITH ANOTHER MANS CHILD! YOUR JUST LUCKY THAT DRACO LOOKED LIKE YOU AND NOT SEVERUS! I CANT BELIVE YOU!" Lucius said as he slapped Narcissa hard across the face. He was infuriated. She had no right to lie to him like that. There was no way Draco could be that bastard's son. Draco had to be Lucius's son. There was just no question about it. He continued to beat here for a few hours, and he smiled when he looked down at the small woman in front of him bruised and curled up into a ball." Now you see what happens when you lie to me Cissy." He said bending down and placed kiss to her cheek, and it made him feel all giddy when he realized that he had broken her nose and probably a rib or two. It was nice to see the whore pay for what she had done to him.

Narcissa lay there on the floor for another hour just trying to get her head to stop spinning. She hadn't wanted Lucius to find out about Draco not being his son. She had never really meant to hurt him, but she had always loved Severus and still did. It wasn't right of her to use him like this and what was why she had decided to leave him to be with the man she truly loved. When she was finally able to stand up she almost fainted at the sight off all of her blood that now stained the emerald green carpets in the upstairs study. She stood there trying to decide what to do. Narcissa knew she couldn't go see Severus in this condition, and she couldn't fix it because Lucius had taken her wand." What am I going to do? I cant stay here, and I cant go to Severus because he will come here and murder Lucius for doing this to me. Maybe I can go to Sirius…..maybe he can help me." She decided that was her only hope. Go to her cousin for some help to get away from someone she didn't trust anymore. Narcissa hurried up to the bedroom she shared with Lucius and packed a few things. She grabbed a pack of Floo Powder and hurried back to the study." What am I supposed to do I don't have a wand anymore? This is going to be hard to for me to do…I have to beg Sirius for help after all of these years of silence and hatred towards each other. Please god don't let him leave me out in the cold." She said grabbing a pinch of floo powder and said" Number 12 Grimauld Place."

In the Gryffindor common room Ron impatiently waited the arrival of his parent's letter. It had been over a week and he was beginning to think that this couldn't be good. " What if they didn't get it?" He asked looking over at Hermione who was sitting at her favorite table getting some homework done.

Hermione looked over at him with a disapproving glare." Ron please calm down. The letter will be here soon enough and everything will be ok. Don't worry about it so much. You really should concentrate on your homework. Your going to get dreadfully behind and I don't know if I can help you catch up." She said coming over and dragging him back to the table she was sitting at." Now concentrate and before you know it…." Before she even finished her sentence she heard an owl tapping on the window closest to them, and when she looked over it was none other than Ron's owl Pig.

" About time you bloody bird." Ron said quickly tearing the letter out of pig's beak and walking back over towards the fire to read it.

Ron,

Your father and I will be in Hogsmede next weekend and we will meet you for lunch in The Three Broomsticks at 1pm for lunch.

Love,

Mom

Ron breathed a sigh of relief as he read over the short letter for what felt like the hundredth time." Hermione….their going to meet us." Ron said handing the letter over to her. He had thought that getting the letter would make his nerves calm down , but he was wrong….dead wrong. Now that he knew he was going to have to tell his parents the truth face to face he was even more nervous." Oh god 'Mione what are we going to do? Now we have to tell my parents everything." Ron said in and exasperated tone that was very unlike him.

" Were going to tell them everything and hope they don't tear us apart." Hermione said handing the letter back to him, as she stood up and walked over to the window looking out over the grounds. The news that Ron's parents were going to meet them scared her a little bit. She had prayed for them to say yes, but she now that what she had wanted was going to come back and bite her in the ass. She loved Ron with all of her heart and she just stood there hoping that his parents would let them stay together. While Hermione was thinking about all of this she hadn't noticed tears streaming down her face, until Ron wrapped his arms around her waist.

" Mione its going to be ok. I promise I wont let anything tear us apart. Not even my parents." He said turning her around and she rested her head on his shoulder. Ron took to running his ringers thorough her hair, and it helped to calm her down a little bit. They stood there like that wrapped up in each other until someone told them it was time for dinner. For a few more minutes they stood there just holding each other. They soon decided that they mine as well eat. It wasn't going to get them anywhere to stand there until she had to go back to the head girl's room. They found walked down to dinner in silence and only said a word when they saw Harry.

" Hey Harry….how are you?" Hermione asked trying to sound inconspicuous.

" Yeah mate how ya are? You've been kind of spacey lately." Ron replied looking over at Harry.

" Sorry about that guys I've just been thinking a lot." Harry said trying to pass it off as nothing like he usually did.

" Oh alright…just remember were here for you Harry." Hermione said sitting across from him. She sat there staring at her plate for a few minutes not moving until Ron prodded her with his elbow so she put a few things on her plate to simulate that she was eating. It worried Ron that she was eating so little these days. As if all of this wasn't bad enough Ron looked up and noticed Professor Dumbledore was standing up behind the staff table and looking right at them.

" If all of you would do me so kindly to quiet down for a second I need Hermione Granger up here please." Dumbledore said looking at her, Harry, and Ron. With the announcement that Dumbledore wanted to see Hermione at the front table every head turned and watched her as she got up and walked up front. As soon as she had made it the whispering around the entire room began." Its good you came so soon Miss Granger. I am going to ask for that DNA sample that you promised me." Dumbledore said giving Hermione a sly smile. She looked up at him in horror she couldn't believe it. First he didn't believe her about James being her son and now he was taking the promised DNA in front of the entire school. She wanted to scream at the old man and tell him off. So many things she wanted to say but she bit her tongue and pretended like this wasn't happening." Is there a problem miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked looking at her over his half –moon spectacles.

" Not at all Professor you just didn't tell me if you wanted a hair or saliva sample so I was waiting for instructions." She said curtly waiting for the old man to answer her.

" I think it would be best if I had both." Dumbledore said plucking out one of her hairs and placing it in a bag." Now time for the saliva sample…..open wide please." Dumbledore said making a long cotton swab appear and he swabbed the inside of her mouth.

" Ron what's Dumbledore doing? I mean Hermione has never been in trouble before. Why would he embarrass her like this?" Harry asked looking up at the old man with a look of utter confusion.

" Wish I knew Harry." Ron said, but he knew. He had been there when Dumbledore had promised to get the sample of Hermione's DNA to compare to Harry's. It sickened him to see Dumbledore exploit Hermione like this. Questions were sure to be asked at every corner. It wasn't going to be pretty and it sure as hell wasn't going to be easy, but if they worked together to fend everything off he was sure they could make it.

" Yeah me too. This is ridiculous. Poor Hermione she doesn't deserve this." Harry said watching the staff table like everyone else. It made him angry to see one of his best friends in so much pain.

" Good girl now you can go sit back down. I'll have everything processed and then you and I will sit down with Harry and Ron." Dumbledore said. Putting the two pieces of DNA in the inner pocket of his robes.

" Yes professor." Hermione said turning on her heel and leaving the great hall. She couldn't hold back the tears that had already begun to fall." Why in there? Why in front of everyone? I may be smart Dumbledore but I cant hold off all the questions that are sure to follow this whole situation." She thought to herself as she hid in a broom cupboard to cry. The chocked sobs hurt her throat but she couldn't stop them as the tears continued to pour from her eyes like a fountain.

" Ron….lets go find Hermione. I bet she's going to need someone to talk to after that." Harry said and got up as Ron followed. Once in the doorway Harry turned around and sent a glare back at Dumbledore.

After searching for a few minutes both Harry and Ron were confused. Hermione hadn't gone to the second floor girls' bathroom, the library, the kitchens, or any of the places she usually hid. They stood in the dungeons thinking of where she could have hidden herself. They decided to check everywhere on the first floor and if they couldn't find her the old fashioned way they would do a locater spell.

Hermione stifled a rather loud sob as she heard two pairs of feet moving around near the door she was hiding behind. She had almost cried herself out. Her eyes hurt and were really puffy. This could only mean that her face had taken on the stance of a ripe tomato.

" I'll look in the broom cupboard, you look in Filch's office." She head Harry say from right outside, and this was one of the times she wished she had Harry's invisibility cloak. She sat there silently in the dark waiting for the door to open. Before she could even try to hide herself Harry had the door open and light flooded into the small space." Ron I found her." Harry said holding out his hand to help Hermione up from off the floor. She took it willingly and walked out of the closet. She felt like hell warmed over a few times, and she looked it too.

" Thanks for your help, Harry." Hermione said wiping at her eyes. She didn't know what she was going to say. There was no real answer she could give without looking completely stupid, well none that was believable anyway.

" Its nothing Hermione. What are friends for? What happened in there? Dumbledore should have never done that to you." Harry said walking her over to the stairs where Ron was already sitting.

Hermione thought fast and came up with a lie she thought would work," Dumbledore needed to get some of my DNA because a muggle hospital sent word to him that people they believed to be my parents had been in a horrible accident." She spat out quickly. She didn't know how to make it more believe able, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. This was a horrible thing to lie about. First she gives up her son and then now she lies about her parents being hurt. No wonder it seemed like god was cursing her. She was a horrible person. She was lying about everything to her best friend. Why? The only reason she could come up with was because she didn't want to hurt Harry, but somewhere deep inside of her she knew that wasn't the only reason.

" Oh I'm so sorry. Are they going to be ok? Are you going to have to leave school?" Harry asked. He was really worried and that made Hermione feel worse about the lie.

" I don't know yet. I know my parents wouldn't want me to leave school under any circumstances. They would want me to finish my education to make sure I can make something of my life." Hermione said looking from Harry to Ron. She felt a torrent of tears hit her as he recognized small similarities between the two. It struck her hard in her heart. She wondered what her son would have been like had he grown up here with her and Ron as parents and Harry as his godfather. There was no telling now. She would never know. She didn't think that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to let her and Ron be together as of next Saturday.

" Oh well Hermione when you do find out we'll be here for you. Don't worry about it." Harry said looking over to Ron for some kind of support. Ron was just staring at Hermione with a dumbfounded look on his face.

" Yeah don't worry Mione we'll both be here for you." Ron said taking the hint from the look in Harry's eyes. Harry gave an approving nod and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. He then turned on his heel and went back to dinner.

" You think we should have just told him here tonight instead of waiting until after we talk to mom and dad?" Ron asked looking over at a very distressed Hermione.

" I honestly don't know Ron. This whole situation is finally taking its tole on me." Hermione said putting her head on his shoulder, and instinctively Ron wrapped his arms around her waist drawing her closer to him.

" I don't know either Mione, but I promise you this we will make everything right with Harry no matter how long it takes." Ron said slowly rocking her back and forth to make her feel better. She was beginning to feel a little bit better when the dinner rush came out.

" I didn't mean to make you miss dinner Ron. Maybe we can go to the kitchens and get the house elves to make us something." Hermione said looking up at him, but Ron was busy watching Draco look at Harry.

" Uh….what? Oh yeah lets go get something to eat." Ron said helping Hermione off the stairs. He lead her right down to the kitchens and helped her through the whole leading in. One of the many house elves came up to them upon entering.

" Can I get you something young masters?" The house elf asked looking up at the two of them with her large green eyes.

" If you have any leftovers from dinner we would like some. And if you have any I would really like some butter beer." Hermione said looking at the small elf in front of her.

" Right away mistress." The house elf bounded away getting all sorts of things for them.

They sat at a small table in the back of the kitchens and the little house elf that had come up to them brought them some trays of food so they had variety." Here you go mistress." The little house elf said handing her a small box full of butter beer. Hermione smiled at the generous nature of the little house elf.

" May I ask you name?" Hermione asked looking at the little house elf.

" My name mistress is Anba." The little house elf replied. Her high pitched voice made Hermione convinced that the house elf was female.

" Well Anba thank you very much….for everything." Hermione said setting the case of butter beer down on the stool bench next to her.

"I'm glad to help mistress." Anba said bowing low to the ground and moved away from the table so that Ron and Hermione could enjoy their dinner in peace. After Anba had left them Ron conjured up come candles and he made it appear as if a violin was playing next to their table.

" What's all this for?" Hermione asked looking over at Ron. She couldn't believe that he had done all of that. They were just having a quiet dinner.

" I wanted everything to be perfect. I didn't want any of this to clash with your beauty Mione. Everything pales in comparison to you." Ron said grabbing her hand and giving it a light squeeze. He meant everything that he said, and he didn't see how Hermione couldn't see her own beauty. Those absolutely sinful chocolate eyes of hers made him feel completely weak in the knees every time she looked at him. Her lithe form only helped to make her more beautiful to him. Her alabaster skin made goose bumps crawl over his flesh whenever he touched her, and to top it all off she only wanted to be with him. So he knew that he was the only one being able to explore the plains of her body with his hands, and that thought brought a smile to his face. Hermione was his……forever if she would keep him and that made him extremely happy.

" What's that smile for?" Hermione asked with an arched eyebrow. She could never understand why Ron just stopped and stared at her sometimes. Its not that she minded she just couldn't figure out why anyone would stare at her. She was a plain Jane compared to most of the girls that went to school here.

" Oh its nothing. I was just thinking." Ron said letting go of her hand as he began to eat. He chewed methodically waiting for the question he knew was coming from her.

" Oh so you finally learned how to use that brain of yours Ron?" Hermione asked him with a cocky smile and a sinful look in her eyes.

" Well it would appear that you have been a good influence on me Hermione Granger." Ron said looking up at her.

" I guess someone had to come along and help you learn how to use your brain. If no one in your family could do it why not one of your best friends?" Hermione asked waiting for him to think about what she had just said, and to her delight Ron hadn't caught it.

" Well I guess your right someone had to come along and activate my brain." Ron said finishing his meal. Anba came back over like clockwork and asked him if he would like more, and Ron gave the little elf an order of some honey cakes.

" We really should get going Ron. We don't have much time before I have to go patrolling the corridors, or before you have to be in bed." Hermione teased looking over at him. He gave her a scowl and asked Anba to wrap them up so he could take them with him. The little elf just nodded in reply and went about finishing the little cakes.

" It was really nice to have a quiet dinner with you Ron." Hermione said as she kissed him goodnight leaving him outside the portrait whole to the Gryffindor common room. Things went on like this until Friday evening when Severus got worried as to why Narcissa hadn't been to see him in over a week, and it scared him a lot. He didn't even know if he was supposed to still go to the Hogs Head tomorrow, but he made a conscience decision that he had to. If not for Narcissa for Draco….his son deserved to know of his true paternity.

" Hey Blaise can I ask you a favor?" Draco said pacing around the dorm he shared.

Blaise looked up from the book he had been reading and stared at Draco," It depends on what it is. Fill me in and then I'll tell you." Blaise said sitting up more.

" Well I am supposed to go meet my mom at the Hogs Head tomorrow and she is brining my dad and he doesn't know that I'm gay. Since I cant ask Harry to go with me I was hoping you would consider going with me." Draco said in a rush looking over at the rather attractive Slytherin who was now staring at him. Draco knew that Blaise was trying his hardest to get in bed with Seamus Finnigan but he didn't think going for moral support would hurt their relationship too bad.

" I'll go, but you have to ask Seamus for permission. He has all the rights to loan me out." Blaise said giving a small at the look on Draco's face. Blaise didn't mind the fact that had made it sound like Seamus owned him. Because when it came down too it Seamus may not have much experience, but he made Blaise feel things that he didn't know were possible.

" Fine …where can I find Finnigan?" Draco asked looking over at Blaise with an odd expression on his face . It was one mixed of jealousy and…what Blaise thought might be anger.

" Did I hear someone say my name?" Seamus asked from the doorway. As soon as Blaise saw him he move d over on the bed and patted the spot next to him which Seamus willingly took.

" Yeah Draco has something he wants to ask you." Blaise said pulling Seamus unto his lap kissing the back of his neck lightly.

" Oh….What is it Draco?" Seamus asked looking over at the Slytherin with interest in his eyes.

" I was wondering if I could borrow Blaise for an hour tomorrow afternoon." Draco said looking over at Seamus waiting for his reply.

" Yeah you can borrow him, as long as you have him back here by dinner I don't mind." Seamus said looking over at Draco with a small smile.

" Thanks Seamus I owe you one." Draco said visibly losing some of the tension in his body. He slumped unto his bed thinking about how well Hermione's plan was going. Draco now knew Harry really did like him, and the feeling of his arousal pressed against Draco's thigh made him smile to himself." Someday soon Harry I'm going to have you down here with me." Draco thought to himself.

The Next Day……

" Ron what time are we meeting your parents again?" Hermione asked sitting at the vanity in her bathroom getting ready for the trip to Hogsmede.

" Were meeting them at 1pm fro lunch." Ron said looking her over. She had used a straightening charm on her hair , and she had put it up in an elegant bun with a pair of blue chopsticks. They stood out against the black skirt, and purple top Hermione had opted to wear today. She was also wearing a pair of combat boots with black fishnet stockings. Ron was watching her finish up the neutral makeup she always wore, and he stared at her like always. She looked even more beautiful in the form fitting purple top, and the skirt just helped since it showed off her toned legs. He was tempted to just take her out to her bedroom and not leave until night fall.

" Alright good that gives me some time to do some Christmas shopping. I haven't even started yet and its coming faster than I expected." Hermione said turning around looking at him.

" Then I'll hang out with Harry for a little bit and we'll meet in front of Honey Dukes at 12:45. How does that sound?" Ron asked trying to keep his eyes on her face.

" Sounds good to me." She said smiling at him." But for now….you and I have some time to catch up." Hermione said coming over to him she sat on the small chase lounge next to him and pressed her lips to his." Just do me a favor and don't mess up my hair ….it takes to long to fix." Hermione said as she pulled back from the first onslaught.

" Alright I wont mess up your hair but everything else I'm not sure I can promise." Ron said kissing her before she had the chance to say anything.

" Blaise…..get up." Seamus said because he couldn't get out of the vice grip that Blaise had on him. He thought it was cute. Blaise held unto him for dear life at night like he was afraid that Seamus was going to disappear into thin air.

" Uh….oh damn is it time to go already?" Blaise said looking up at Seamus and smiling to himself he had left a nice golf ball sized bruise on the side of his neck, and Blaise made a mental note to add more other places on his body.

" Almost you need to get you ass up and moving. Draco is waiting for you in the common room. I'll be in Hogsmede doing some shopping. When your done we can have lunch together or something." Seamus said kissing Blaise and getting up he slipped into the bathroom.

" I cant believe I'm going on a date with Draco." Blaise said shaking his head as he went to his trunk to get some clothes. He decided to make himself look nice for Draco's parents. He wore an emerald green button up shirt and black dress pants, but he opted for tennis shoes instead of loafers. He hated those damn church boy shoes. He put on his silver chain with the Slytherin crest locket on it and went into the bathroom. He brushed his untidy chestnut hair and brushed his teeth. After he was done he stood there staring at himself." I look like I'm going to a funeral."

" Well whatever funeral your going to I want to go. Your look amazing love." Seamus said from behind him and Blaise couldn't help but turn and kiss him." Hmmmmm…we can to this later. You need to go meet Draco." Seamus said pushing Blaise towards the door.

" Yes sir…but I will come back and we will do this later. Understand?" Blaise said looking at Seamus and when he saw a twinkle in his eyes Blaise knew he had won.

" Alright……I'll be waiting." Seamus said walking down to the Slytherin common room with him. Once there they met Draco who looked hot. He was wearing a pair of tight black jeans, a silver collared shirt only buttoned to where it had to be, and loafers. Draco looked Blaise over and nodded his approval.

" I promise I'll have him back to you before dinner." Draco said walking out of the common room leaving Seamus standing there almost jealous of Draco.

Draco and Blaise walked out of the school and towards Hogsmede in silence. Neither one was sure what to say. This was awkward for both of them because they were both in love with someone else. Blaise knew he was just doing a favor for a good friend but sill being with Draco like this made him think he was cheating on Seamus and he kind of wanted someone to smack him. Once they were half way there the silence was starting to annoy both of them so Blaise broke it.

" You look nice Draco. You really do." He said quietly walking in stride with his friend waiting for a reply.

" So do you ….never thought I'd see the day when Blaise Zabini got all dolled up to go on a date with his friend." Draco said teasing him and they both laughed it lightened the mood a lot and the spent the rest of the time talking about quidditch and Harry and Seamus. When they arrived Draco spotted his mother sitting in the back corner. She didn't look well. There was a dark bruise on her arm, the he could only guess came from Lucius. They walked over to her and sat down.

" Mom this is Blaise, Blaise this is my mother Narcissa Malfoy." Draco said making the proper introductions.

" It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Malfoy." Blaise said holding out his hand waiting for her to shake it.

" The pleasure is all mine Blaise." Narcissa said. Her voice sounded scratchy but that was because Lucius had come to Grimauld Place last night and had tried to choke her but Sirius had stopped that. He had beaten the hell out of Lucius and kicked his ass out. Narcissa had been attended to by Remus Lupin. She had suspected while in school that they had something for each other and now she knew that they were lovers and it made her happy to see Sirius so happy.

After Narcissa finished speaking to Blaise the awkward silence set in again, until the door to the tavern opened and Severus Snape filled the doorway. His eyes automatically softened when he saw that Narcissa was there. He strode over to them and sat down at the table." Cissy where have you been? I haven't been able to find you anywhere." Severus said looking deep into her gray eyes. She had worried him so badly.

" I've been staying with Sirius, and don't even start with the whole him torturing you thing. It was either I stay with him or I get killed." Narcissa said and the tears came in a torrent she buried her head in Severus's shoulder and cried until she couldn't anymore.

" Its ok Cissy I'm just glad to see you alive. I was so scared that something had happened to you. Please don't ever worry me like that again." He whispered into her ear.

" I promise Severus. I wont ever make you worry like that again, but now isn't the time for this…..we have some news we must divulge." Narcissa said straightening up and looking at Draco.

" Your right my dear this is the perfect time to tell him." Severus said also placing his eyes on Draco. They stared at him for a few minutes before Narcissa opened her mouth to tell Draco the truth.

" Draco your almost 18 and well…..its time you know the truth. Lucius isn't your father Severus is." She waited for her son to fling curses at her, and to tell her how much he hated her. But to her surprise Draco just sat there and smiled.

" I'm glad he's not my father. If Lucius was my father I would have to kill him for touching my mother, and I don't think we want that now do we?" Draco said in a malicious voice looking at the people who were really his parents. Narcissa smiled at Draco and Severus just stared at him. He couldn't believe that after all these years of lying to him Draco was accepting him as his father.

" Draco….you don't have to call me dad, but at least call me Severus. No more of this Professor Snape nonsense." Severus said holding Narcissa close to him.

" Sounds like a plan to me Severus." Draco said holding out his hand to shake it." And Severus there is something you should know…..your only son is gay." Draco said standing up and walking towards the door with Blaise close t his heels.

" Draco I wouldn't care if you were a-sexual. You'll always be my son." Severus said and Draco nodded in understanding. As soon as Draco left Severus started to look Narcissa over seeing all the bruises Lucius had left on her made him angry. He wanted to make sure Lucius paid for everything he had ever done to her, and Draco. The two of them left the Hogs Head not long after Draco and Blaise had, and they spent the rest of the afternoon together laughing and joking just like they used too.

" Hey Harry I'm sorry but I have to go meet Hermione. I'll come find you when I'm done ok?" Ron said while Harry was looking around in an expensive shop for a present for Draco, Ron suspected it was Draco anyway.

" Yeah we'll meet up here and we'll finish shopping." Harry said standing up and looking Ron over a few times. He looked paler than usual and that's saying a lot." Ron are you ok? You look horrible."

" I'm fine just stressing over what to get Mione for Christmas……and NEWTS." Ron said looking at Harry. He realized the time and apologized to Harry again but he really had to go.

Out side Honey Dukes Hermione was patiently waiting for him. She had four shopping bags of what he suspected were all Christmas presents. She looked down at her watch and saw that Ron was five minutes later, but she wasn't worried he and Harry always lost track of time. She looked up to see him walking towards her. She smiled at him as he stopped next to her.

" Sorry I'm late. Harry and I lost track of time." Ron said grabbing her arm, he lead her towards the Three Broom Sticks to get a table. To their surprise Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were already there and waiting for them. Ron and Hermione walked over to them and exchanged pleasantries, and they sat down to begin this interesting conversation.

" Can I get you anything?" Their waitress asked coming up to the table before any of them could ask a question.

" We'll have butter beers." Said Hermione pointing to herself and Ron.

" We'll have the same thank you." Mrs. Weasley said giving the waitress a pleasant smile.

After the waitress had left Molly looked at Ron and Hermione waiting for one of them to start speaking." Mrs. Weasley I want you to know before hand that what were about to tell you was a total accident, and I hope you can forgive both of us." Hermione said she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes already. The fear she had been trying to hard to bottle was coming to life right before her eyes. She was living her worst nightmare already, but this time she couldn't wake up.

" Hermione its ok…please don't cry." Ron said taking her hand in his, and giving it a light squeeze. As he was trying to comfort her both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley paid close attention to the way their son treated Hermione. It made them smile. They were so glad he was finally happy.

" Your right Ron. We just need to tell them the truth……about everything. It's the only way for us to ever feel any better about this." Hermione said straitening up." Would you please excuse me for a minute……I need to use the bathroom." She said excusing herself politely and walking towards the bathroom. After Hermione's exit Ron watched the door and saw Draco come in followed closely by Blaise Zabini. Ron really didn't like the guy he was convinced that Hermione and Blaise had been together at one point but neither would say a word. Ron thought about his obsession with Hermione and Blaise and decided he was going to go talk to him about it quickly.

" I just saw someone I need to talk to …..Excuse me." Ron said getting up and walking over towards the table Draco had just left Blaise at. With both of them gone Mr. Weasley pulled out the bottle of veritaserum Molly had asked him to bring. He handed it to her and as soon as the butter beers got there Molly slipped a few drops into both Ron and Hermione's drinks." Blaise…..look I am going to say this once. I don't ever want to see you around Hermione got it? " Ron said looking at Blaise who was paying no attention to him. Blaise was thinking about the lunch he was going to be having with Seamus soon.

" Yeah Weasley I'll stay away from her. I don't have any interest, and I never did. Hasn't anyone told you yet that I'm gay?" Blaise asked looking up at him. He still wasn't really paying attention but he was listening more now.

" Oh…..you are. I well…..good luck with Draco." Ron said moving back to his parents table with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He couldn't believe it Blaise Zabini was gay….this had to be some kind of trick. While Ron thought about this Hermione slipped back into her seat and apologized for the wait.

" Its nothing Hermione. Were just glad you didn't leave us for good." Molly said giving her a sweet smile which made Hermione relax a lot. She brought her mug closer to her." I propose a toast……to a great family." Hermione said and the three others banged there glasses agsint her s. Hermione and Ron didn't notice the small smirk of satisfaction on Molly's face as she watched both of them take a sip of the butter beer.

It only took a few minutes but the veritaserum worked and Ron blurted out something he never would have in a million years," HARRY"S IN LOVE WITH DRACO!" He screamed and every head in the bar turned to look at him….especially Draco who was present at the time of the shouting. Draco hurried over to his table and asked.

" Did you just say Harry is in love with me Ron?" Draco asked looking at him with pleading eyes.

" Yeah Malfoy Harry is stark raving mad about you." Ron said turning back to his parents. He couldn't believe he had just old Malfoy about Harry's feelings but is sure felt better to have told someone. Draco ran back over to the table and sat down smirking to himself. He now knew winning Harry was going to be a lot easier than he thought.

Hermione confessed about her fear of Molly making them break up after she knew why they had been asked to come here and then Hermione spilled the whole story of the time travel and their son. And how now Ron and Hermione were really Harry's grandparents which made Arthur and Molly his great-grandparents." We didn't want to tell him until we had asked you if it was ok, because if it is Dumbledore said Harry could come live with you instead of those damn Dursleys." Hermione finished in a huff and she sat there waiting. The silence seemed to drag on for hours, until finally Molly spoke.

" I am not going to break you up first of all, and second it will be wonderful to have Harry come stay with us. Jut don't wait to long to tell him. It is going to be hard enough to find out about a betrayal this big." Molly said looking at Hermione and Ron. They nodded and stood up to leave. Hermione hugged Molly really hard thanking her for not taking Ron from her, and Molly just smiled knowing she had made this a great reveal.


	7. Chapter 7: I Thought I Could But I Can't

**Chapter 7: I Thought I Could…. But I Can't**

So much had happened in so short a time was all Hermione could think as she walked out the front doors and trudged through the snow to her favorite oak tree. The snow didn't bother her at all. All that bothered her at this point was getting around to telling Harry about her being his grandmother. The mere thought of revealing her secret scared her more than a little bit. She sighed when she reached the tree leaning against it she thought," I feel so lousy. I have to tell Harry next time I see him." She thought as she slid down the tree bringing her knees to her chest.

Walking down the corridor alone Harry sighed realizing how much he had distanced himself from his friends. He felt like a royal ass because he hadn't told them his secret before talking to Dumbledore." They probably could have helped me out so much sooner. What was I thinking going to Dumbledore for love advice anyway?" He asked himself aloud as he continued to wander around. He continued to wander for what seemed like hours to him until he saw the open doors to the outside world and he gladly welcomed the opportunity to get some fresh air. He wasn't surprised to see almost no one outside, and he liked the idea of being alone with his thoughts. So aimlessly he began to wander again inwardly and outwardly cursing his lack of trust in his friend's ability to help him.

Hermione had temporarily forgotten about her problem as she had gotten lost in a huge book. She sat there greedily turning the pages like they were going to disappear if she didn't hurry. This madness went on until she heard an all too familiar laugh coming from behind her. Hermione looked up and gave a half smile to Draco. "Hey Draco." She said putting a marker in her book and setting it down beside her.

"If you turned the pages of that book any faster it might just catch on fire." Draco smirked down at her.

"I doubt that. The book was a nice distraction though. I feel so guilty about not telling Harry about Ron and me being his grandparents, but I just don't know how to tell him." She sighed patting the spot next to her so Draco would at least sit down. That was one thing that bothered her about him sometimes….even if he had to stand for over an hour…he wouldn't even make a move to sit until he was invited to.

Noticing the invitation Draco quickly but gracefully took the seat next to Hermione." I understand Herm. I think you should tell him. It really isn't right for either one of us to keep something from him." He said laughing at the odd look on her face." Might I ask why I am being stared at like a third eye just appeared on my forehead?"

"What did you call me?" She asked the same flabbergasted expression staying plastered to her face.

"I have gotten tired of always saying Hermione…so I decided that I will be calling you Herm from now on." He said smirking in his normal Slytherin like manner.

"YOU'RE GOING TO CALL ME WHAT?!" She asked looking at him with an incredulous look on her face. Hermione looked like she had just been smacked in the face with a banana or something like that.

"I'm going to call you Herm. 'Mione is so unoriginal that I came up with my own nickname." He said still looking at her with his trademark smirk stuck in place.

"That's what I thought you said Draco." She put up as mean of a face as possible for her and within seconds found herself laughing right along with him.

They continued to laugh and joke with each other like normal friends until they heard someone creeping up behind them. They looked up and both were shocked to see a very confused Harry looking down at them. Draco jumped up remembering the kiss they had shared and bolted right out of the area.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked looking down at Hermione. She asked him to sit and told him that" It was nothing but friends enjoying each others company." Sadly that hadn't been what Harry was asking but he didn't push the envelope. Hermione had been awfully emotional lately and he wasn't ready for her to go into another fit of tears that he couldn't help her with.

"So Harry what brings you outside on a day like today? Last I knew you hated this time of year." She stated matter of factly she watched him carefully and she didn't realize or feel the look of depression of sadness that took over her eyes.

Harry looked at her and felt bad, but wasn't sure why. He had never seen so much sadness in Hermione's eyes." Hermione…..what's wrong? You can tell me anything." He asked finally getting concerned after she had been staring at him with the same expression for almost ten minutes.

"Harry…there…there…is…something I need to tell you." She began tripping over her words all sense of confidence or intelligence drained from her along with her color.

"Well that's a start. At least your talking now." He said trying to lighten the mood just a little. She was always serious but not like this. She wasn't Hermione anymore she was some imposter.

"What I have to tell you is important… and could alter our friendship greatly." She said looking at the snow around her or the tree anything to not have to meet the emerald fire-like orbs Harry called eyes.

"Hermione nothing could be that bad. We have been friends for to long." He said looking over at her reassuringly.

She nodded and took a few minutes to try and collect herself. She took a few deep breaths and looked into his emerald spheres and had to take another deep breath." I hate to say it but this time Harry you're wrong. This one thing I have to tell you is so important…..so important that it could make you never even look at me again." She said pushing back the torrent of tears that had decided to try and make themselves known.

"Listen to me Hermione nothing that you could say would make us not be friends. We are to close for something to get in our way." He said placing his hand over hers and the tears let up a bit.

"Your wrong but I believe you have the right to know." She said looking up at him again." Harry…..there is a reason that I am the way around and for you." She began getting serious and more Hermione like automatically.

"Please tell me why. I have been wondering about that for quite some time now." He said getting tense waiting for something extremely stupid… or something he could have guessed by himself.

"I am the way I am…because….because….I...I" Before she knew what she was doing Hermione pulled a Draco and left Harry sitting under the tree watching her run away.

"DAMNIT!" Harry's scream echoed all around the empty courtyard making him feel suddenly very alone in the winter air. So as the feeling became to overwhelming he stood up and slowly trudged back inside….wonder what he could do to get this secret out of Hermione. And as nothing came to him he sighed hoping that he could get this out of his mind.

Hermione sighed as she hid in the second floor girl's bathroom." I really thought I could tell him…..I really did."

Well I hope that will satisfy those of you who have actually been dying for this story to be updated. I hope you enjoyed it…and Chapter 8 will be longer I promise. R&R! Happy Christmas Everyone!


	8. Chapter 8: An Unexpected Present

**Chapter 8: An Unexpected Present**

The trio waited in silence: The Golden Boy, The Brain, and The Tomato stood watching the rest of the students filing out past them unto the station platform into the waiting arms of their parents. They watched and waited in the ensuing silence that had engulfed them. Nothing needed to be said for they were all to lost in their own thoughts to speak. Harry thought of his problems with Draco and how much he just wanted to make that damn Slytherin his. Hermione stood trying to think of how she had to tell Harry she was his grandmother, and Ron was wondering how he was going to tell his Mum that he wouldn't be coming home for Christmas.

They stood like that until Hermione finally said," It is time you know something Harry. I….I have been putting it off for too long now." She stared waiting for some sort of reply but she got none, and after ten minutes of pure silence she peeled her eyes away from the book she had been reading and was shocked to see that Harry had walked down the way and was being embraced ever so tightly by Tonks.

Hermione ran down the path to where they stood and greeted Tonks with a huge smile and she returned it happy to see the trio together again. After a quick exchanging of hugs with Hermione and a handshake from Ron she turned back to Harry," So as I was saying you'll be staying at Grimauld Place with Sirius for the holidays he has missed you something dreadful."

Harry nodded knowingly looking at the three people around him," I don't doubt it Sirius is always so bored in his old family home. He would welcome any company right now. I think even that of a certain potions master of ours that he isn't fond of." And with that they all started laughing. They knew that, that would never happen Sirius may be bored inside his house but that didn't mean he would ever willingly invite his old school rival over for tea.

Hermione looked around and noticed that the station had cleared off almost completely so she knew it was time to get looking for her parents.," Ron I hate to cut our time with Harry and Tonks short but mom and dad wont be happy if we keep them waiting much longer." She said and Ron nodded knowing that she was right, and so they said their goodbyes heading off in the direction of the barrier that usually got them on to the platform.

"Ron wait I forgot to give Harry something. I'll be right back I promise." She said and pulled a piece of parchment and a quill from her bag halfway between Ron and Harry and she sat down too write.

_Harry,_

_I know it may come as a shock to you that I am writing a letter just before we leave for our Christmas break, but this is the only way I can think of to tell you the news that has been long lingering on my lips and weighing on my heart. I have been thinking long and hard about how to tell you what I have too and I have come to realize that the best way to tell you is to just be blunt, no beating around the bush. Harry, Ron and I did something that you may very well never forgive us for, and even putting our friendship in the works wasn't enough to stop me from telling you. We…I mean Ron and I are your grandparents Harry. We sired the baby that Karen and Corbin Potter thought was their son James. We went back in time over the summer, via my time turner, and I had the baby, they took him home and raised him simple as that. I know you will probably be angry and never want to talk to either of us again and I will understand completely. This is a total betrayal of trust and that isn't acceptable in any way, shape, or form. I wont beg you to talk to me again if you decide you don't want to, but know this Harry I never wanted to hurt you and neither did Ron we just didn't know how to tell you. I apologize again for everything and remember we only did this because we care Harry. We NEVER wanted to hurt you._

_Yours Truly,_

_Hermione Granger_

Hermione read over her letter what felt like a few hundred times before placing it in an envelope that she conjured and on the outside she wrote. Harry only open this when you are sure you're ready. She then quickly and purposefully strode over to Harry. Seeing as he and Tonks were still standing there talking she didn't have much trouble finding them.

"Hermione I thought you and Ron had to go meet with your parents?" Tonks said half asking and half making a statement staring at Hermione with an odd look on her face.

"We do but I forgot to give this to you Harry." She said holding out the letter and he took it but before he could ask a single thing about the letter Hermione had hurried off back in the direction she had come from.

"What was that about?" Tonks asked looking at Harry and he shrugged staring down at the letter in his hands. He read over the top a few times and decided that if the letter was this important he truly wasn't ready to read it yet.

Severus sat in his study grading the papers of his first year students with his favorite quill. He had always been one to be critical of any and all mistakes, but today he found that his concentration level on his work just wasn't there. He sighed to himself looking at the half graded roll of parchment and set it aside realizing that he wasn't going to be getting much more done.

"I must think of what I can do to occupy my time then if I can't work on grading these rolls of parchment." He said aloud to himself seeing as there were only two other living things in the room with him and that was his owl Cissy and his snake Nighthawk. He looked at the two things that has been his companions for what seemed like his entire life and sighed knowing that neither one would talk back to him.

Just as the silence was beginning to tell on him Severus heard a knocking on his door and he quickly resumed his seat behind his desk." Enter." He said simply grabbing his things to make it look like he had been doing something.

"Severus, I need your help with something." Dumbledore said walking into his office after being told to enter and started pacing. Severus looked up at him with a hint of curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"Tell me Albus what is it that I can help you with? As you can see I have plenty of papers to grade." He said motioning with his hand to all the rolls of parchment surrounding his desk.

"I am well aware of the work load you have set out for yourself Severus but this is far more important that all of these rolls of parchment combined." Albus said pacing so fast it appeared that much more of it would cause a rut to begin forming in the floor. The thought brought a smirk to Severus's lips but he didn't laugh like he wanted to he kept his cold mask and looked up at Albus unbelievingly.

"Then tell me what exactly is it that you need me to do?" He asked still staring at the older man finally asking him to sit down.

Albus obliged the younger mans request and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and he looked positively perturbed." I got the results back from the DNA test that I had sent out to the muggle labs Severus and it looks like Hermione was telling the truth about being Harry's grandmother, but being the old man that I am I don't believe the muggle scientists. I would like you to run the tests as many times as possible until you find her a liar." He said and laughed at the stunned expression on Severus's face." What is that look for Severus?" He asked looking at the younger wizard.

Severus thought for a long time before he answered," Sir I don't quite understand. Why exactly do you want me to make a liar out of the best student in our establishment?" He asked grimacing at the fact he had admitted Granger was better than even his smartest Slytherins.

"It is simple Severus this is one thing that she has to be lying about. She and Ronald Weasly can not... I repeat CAN NOT be Harry Potter's grandparents even in the wizarding world it is impossible. They must be lying and you are going to be my ticket in proving it. Do I make myself clear?" Albus asked looking at Severus expecting an answer then and there.

"Yes Albus, I understand clearly." He said and he watched as Albus got an evilly wicked grin on his face and it almost scared him to see it. The older man got up and walked out of the room pleased with himself.

Severus sat at his desk thinking deeply about the task that was at hand and he was angered to realize that it meant his winter holiday with Narcissa wasn't going to happen. He sighed audibly and pulled out the necessary items to write and tell her that their plans would have to be postponed. He hated thinking about another long set of lonely nights. He was also angry that Albus had ruined his one chance in months to see Narcissa; he had taken every ray of hope that Severus had, had and crushed it right in front of him as if it had never existed.

He sat there for a long time staring at the blank piece of parchment in front of him until the words just started flowing:

_My Dearest Narcissa,_

_My words will never be able to express how much I miss you. These days and nights apart have seemed like naught more than an eternity to me. I know it isn't safe to write having Sirius there, and with the possibility of Lucius getting a hold of this letter but still I write just so you can see my words on a piece of paper. My dear I also hate to tell you that I am forbidden from leaving the grounds this holiday because Dumbledore has set out an impossible task for me to accomplish. I hate being separated from you for any period of time but having our chance to see each other ripped from me angers me to no end. I will however be escorting Draco to number 12 Grimauld Place as you have asked me. Although, I am not sure it is a good idea to have him stay there with you, for Lucius will surely come looking for him but I will oblige your wishes. It bothers me that our son gets to see you and I don't. I wish nothing more than to be wrapped in your loving arms Cissy never forget that. Please do not be angry with me my love for the absence in our seeing and touching is trying on me too, but we must both be strong until we can be together again._

_Holding My Heart Forever,_

_Severus_

He read over his letter a time or two just to make sure that everything he needed to say was in there and smiled when he finally decided the letter was too his satisfaction. He looked at his blue-gray owl and she came over to him without a word being spoken. He quickly tied the letter to her leg and carried her to the window all the while stroking her soft feathers." Takes this to your namesake and be quick about it."

"Alright Harry we're finally here. Sorry about the detour. How was I supposed to know that the muggles wouldn't have a car ready for us when we left?" Tonks said opening the door to number 12 Grimauld Place.

"It's alright Tonks I understand. You don't have to know everything about the muggle world." Harry said smiling at her as he moved past her into the large kitchen. He looked around the dimly lit room trying to catch a glance of Sirius but didn't get one. "Hmmm I wonder where he could be?" Harry thought to himself, as he went back out into the hall and grabbed his things so he could take them up to the room he always used.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs he heard someone mumbling coming from inside the bathroom which was just to the right on the first landing. Harry stood there listening until the person came out and he stood stalk still, watching with complete shock as Lupin came out of the bathroom in nothing but a baby blue towel.

"Damn you Sirius. I hate needing to take cold showers because you refuse to finish what you start!" He all but yelled as he opened a door on the opposite side of the hall. Once he had went into the door Harry sighed in relief having not been found out, and he found himself smiling he thought it was about time that Sirius had pulled his head out of his ass and told Remus that he loved him. He continued up the stairs hurrying into his room trying to avoid anymore unexpected guests and was relieved when he reached the threshold of his room.

"It's nice to be in a place that feels like home. No school work, no other students, and most importantly no running into Draco. I could use some time with my head not being a total wreck." He said as he finished unpacking his things and walked back down the stairs only to hear an odd knock on the door. He watched as someone he thought was Narcissa Malfoy open the door and he saw Severus Snape standing in the doorway with Draco." Oh hell." Harry thought to himself. "I thought I was going to get some time to think clearly."

Draco looked up and saw Harry and they both said in unison," WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?" neither one sounded angry but rather in shock. They both looked happy and scared to see each other at the same time.

Narcissa stared at Draco and smiled having already known that Harry was going to be here." I thought you might like some time alone with him Draco. This will be the perfect time to make a move with him." She said and Draco gave his signature smirk loving the way his mother thinks.

Severus looked at Narcissa and smiled stepping into the house just so he could hold her. He wrapped his arms around her lithe waist and she smiled up at him not caring who saw her kiss him these days.

Sirius came bolting down the stairs and almost fell right down them on the sight that he saw. "Cissy EWWWWWW! COME ON NOT IN THE HOUSE!" He said and Narcissa turned and looked at him glaring at him like she hadn't in a long time and he shut up quickly but continued to point and pretend to puke which made both Harry and Draco laugh.

"Cissy I have to go. I have to get back to work." Severus said and she smiled all be it sadly. She knew he didn't have a choice in working this holiday or not but still she couldn't help but be sad that she only got to see him for a few minutes.

"Alright Severus. I'll send you a letter the day after Christmas to see if you can escape from some of your work." She said sounding hopeful but he gave her a look that almost dashed her hopes into a million pieces. She didn't even know what the task was he hadn't gone into any detail, she watched as he turned on his heel and quickly left which seemed to shatter her heart.

Draco placed a hand on his mother's shoulder seeing the pained look in her eyes." Mom don't worry I'm sure he'll be here to see you in no time. How hard could the problem Dumbledore set before him really be?"

"Who knows Dumbledore has been known to give out some pretty impossible tasks to those he has the most faith in." She said looking at her son, and she smiled at him realizing she had a plan to help him get what he wanted. She looked up at the staircase giving a sweet smile to Harry." Why don't you come down and join Draco and I for some lunch Harry you must be famished."

"I'd like that. Thank you Mrs. Malfoy." Harry said and he thought he noticed her wince at the mention of her surname, but he thought it must have been his mind playing tricks on him.

"It's nothing dear. Better yet everyone why don't you show Draco to where he'll be staying and you both can come down in about an hour while I prepare us all something to eat." She said smiling a little at the look Draco was giving her.

"Alright, Come on Draco lets go." Harry said climbing back up the stairs very happy not to see Remus walk by him in nothing but a towel again.

Draco sighed and reluctantly began to follow Harry knowing full well that his mother had to be up to something. He hated it when she tried to push things, and this was one of them. Sure he loved Harry but that didn't mean that he wanted him back. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Harry stop in front of a room and was only brought out of his stupor when he ran smack into him. Draco blushed darker than the Gryffindor scarlet as he looked up into Harry's emerald orbs," Sorry….I was kind of lost in your eyes….I mean in my thoughts." He said mentally smacking himself for saying such a thing.

"I understand I get lost in my thoughts easily as well." Harry said smiling at Draco pretending as if he hadn't heard his little slip up.

"Well it is nice to know that I am not alone in that." He said walking into the room that had been given to him. He looked around and saw a large four poster bed with deep emerald bedding and hangings. He stared at it for a few minutes in utter shock, wondering why the Slytherin colors would be found in Sirius Black's house, only to remember that almost every other member of the Black family had been in the noble house of Slytherin." This room is beautiful, thanks for giving it to me Harry." Draco said levitating his trunk to the end of the bed.

"Oh, it's nothing at all." Harry said smiling to himself seeing the look of astonishment on his face. He had known that this would be the perfect room for Draco. Little did the Slytherin Prince know that Harry's room was right next door and very much the same but still with the subtle difference of his being decorated in Gryffindor colors. Harry had however made his bedding match Draco's eyes.

"Yeah it is. This is absolutely wonderful." He said as he all but glided over to the bed the whole time wishing Harry was laying on it looking at him in an inviting way. He sighed to himself realizing that his thoughts were only making this whole thing harder for him. There as no way in all of hell that The Boy Who Lived was gay.

Harry nodded and left Draco to get acquainted with the room. He trudged back into his own and flopped on the bed, but before he could even begin to think he heard them all being called down for dinner. Harry hadn't noticed his need for sleep and he felt bad for not making his lunch date with Narcissa and Draco.

Jane looked over at Hermione with sad eyes. Her daughter wasn't the same. She has not only grown up a lot but she had become so distant. She wasn't even touching the bowl of vanilla bean ice cream in front of her. Jane stared at her lovingly wishing her daughter would open up, but she knew that was a long shot. Hermione had always been too independent of a girl.

"Mother, why do you keep staring at me?" Hermione asked not looking away from the window she had been dutifully staring at for well over an hour. She watched and waited hoping maybe; just maybe Harry had read the letter.

"Hermione I am worried about you, you've been in this trance like state since you came home. Even Ron is worried about you. He says you haven't been yourself since you guys left the platform together. It isn't fair of you to keep this all bottled up." Jane said waiting for some educated answer to come from Hermione but it never did. Hermione simply rose form her seat and left. She left not only the table, but the kitchen and the house. She needed air and time to think. Being cooped up in her parents home wasn't going to get her anywhere. So she walked to the tree she had read in all the time as a child and climbed up into it. She watched quietly as the sun began to set, the normal pale blue sky turning to a mixture of the most beautiful purples and oranges she had ever seen, but the colors had no meaning to her. All she wanted was to know if Harry had read her letter.

The entire room was filled with echoing voice as Harry entered the dining hall in Grimauld Place. He looked around at the diverse group of people and smiled. He had never thought to see so many people in this house; he wondered to himself how Sirius could ever be bored with so many people. Before he could take three steps towards the long table he felt himself being sucked into a bone crushing hug. He knew the culprit and stood there listening to Mrs. Weasley tell him how much she had missed him and all of the other things she always told him.

"Oh Harry dear it is so good to see you. Sit, sit." She said motioning to the long table and Harry nodded looking around for a place to sit. He walked to the head of the table where Sirius sat jabbering with Kingsley and Arthur. As he walked down the table he saw there were three open seats the one next to Mr. Weasley for Molly, one next to Draco, and one next to Ginny. Harry weighed his options and took the seat next to Draco feeling suddenly enthralled and entranced by the wizard next to him.

Draco smiled to himself noticing Harry's choice of seat and he saw a look of happiness shoot into his mother's eyes for she had noticed it to. To his surprise Harry began speaking to him of random times in their school years and all he could do was answer in a delighted tone. He was glad they could talk at all. They got so deep into their conversation that the food was more of an interruption than they had expected.

They spent many more hours just reminiscing until they realized that it was well after 1 in the morning. They parted knowing that tonight was Christmas Eve and they both had their own special wish.

"I wish for only one thing this year, Draco Malfoy in my bed." Harry said to himself as he lay down to sleep. That was his last thought before sleep saw fit to claim him, and little did he know that his one wish would come true.

Draco lay content in his bed sleeping heavily. His dreams were filled of his confession to Harry and all the possible outcomes." Harry…..I…please don't….go." He said out into the open air. As he breathed these words the door to his room opened and two people creped in: Narcissa and Sirius. Both knew of the boys love for each other and didn't want to see them end up anything like them. Narcissa didn't want them to waste their entire lives knowing who they loved, but refusing to admit it. And whether he wanted to admit it or not Sirius felt much the same way, he didn't want to see Harry suffer like he had all of those years watching Remus from afar.

"Cissy, are you sure we should be doing this?" Sirius whispered as she pulled back the covers on Draco's bed. She looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you scared Sirius? The infamous Sirius Black scared of putting his cousin in bed with his god son." She said in a mock tone knowing that would get him, and it did. He picked Draco up without a second thought and hurried out of the room. He walked to Harry's room and opened the door just as quietly as he had with Draco's and crept in carrying the sleeping Slytherin. He went over to the bed and placed him under the covers facing Harry in one fluid motion.

He walked out and Narcissa couldn't help but laugh." I can't believe that still gets you.' She said as she walked back to her own room to get some sleep.

"It doesn't." He said and gave her a wicked smile as he ran to his and Remus's room to make this a very nice Christmas morning.

Harry awoke at the crack of dawn and almost fell out of his bed. He couldn't believe what he was looking at….or better yet who. Draco lay in his bed sleeping like the angel he knew he was. He lay there watching him sleep for what seemed to him like only a few minutes (but in reality was over an hour) before he got up and ready for the day.

"I got everything I need for Christmas." Harry said leaving the room.

Everything went on much like this until the end of the vacation was looming upon all of the students in the house. They all sat around dreading the thought of returning to school, but Harry and Draco were a little happier. They were actual friends…and they both thought soon to be more.

They sat in Harry's room the night before they were supposed to return to Hogwarts. They were laughing and joking like they had been for a few weeks now until Draco spotted the letter on Harry's desk. He picked it up and noticed Hermione's hand writing.

"Hey Harry…aren't you going to open this?" He asked handing the letter over to Harry who looked at.

"I…I suppose I should. I have had it the entire vacation and I just didn't think I was ready for it." He said as he opened the letter and slowly began to read it. With every word he swore his entire life was being ripped to shreds and that nothing was the same. He sat there reading and re-reading it hoping this was all a cruel joke, but he knew that Hermione would never joke with something like this. The letter slipped out of his hands and Draco read it shocked that Hermione had finally told him.

"Harry….I was…..what the hell happened?" Sirius asked walking into Harry's room and rushing straight over to him.

Draco handed the letter over and Sirius read it going much into the state that Harry was in. After all James hand been one of Sirius's best mates so all of this was probably a huge slap in the face to both of them.

For the next few hours Harry said nothing he just sat in complete silence thinking about all of the words that were on that one piece of paper. He sighed as he finally said," One things for sure this is one unexpected gift."

**Thank you to all of you who have been with this story from the beginning. I believe there will be one more chapter and the epilogue. I am very appreciative to everyone who actually keeps up to date. I will try to update Watch Who You Fall For soon but I am not making any promises. I am very proud to say that I almost have 1,650 hits on this story. Please keep up the faith. Read and Review. And if any of you truly like this story please recommend it to other people. That would help a lot. Much Love and Respect.**


	9. Chapter 9

Hello faithful few I am extremely excited to be on the last two legs of this story, and surprise I updated Watch Who You Fall

**Hello faithful few I am extremely excited to be on the last two legs of this story, and surprise I updated Watch Who You Fall For. I am planning to get some serious work done this summer, but sadly I don't know how long I will be continuing to write. I am having a lack of hits or reviews, but I will be finishing at least this story and the other one mentioned. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me and read the things I have put out there. I have so much to thank you for but I don't really know how to do it. So to you, and you know who you are, Thank you for all of the support from the beginning**.

Chapter9: The End of Our Time

When it was time for classes to resume Harry and Draco packed all of their things so they could be taken to King's Cross-station. Things had become great between the two of them over their holiday, and Harry was even thinking about making Draco a more permanent part of his life.

"Harry, Draco you two need to hurry up otherwise your going to miss the train." Remus yelled up the stairs at them and they both yelled a simultaneous ok and hurriedly threw the rest of their belongings into their trunks. Once they were downstairs they said goodbye to everyone and waited as Severus said a painfully long goodbye to Narcissa so that he could escort the boys to the station.

" Hey Draco…I…. I still don't know what to do. I mean what do I say to Ron and Hermione? I'm so confused." Harry said looking at Draco trying not to make it obvious that he was staring at him.

" Well I think you should just go up to them and let the words come out. Everything that you're feeling, just tell them all of it." Draco said as Snape came out of the kitchen and led them out the front door.

" That's a good idea. I just hope that I don't lose the only real friends that I have ever had.' Harry said and then became quiet as he began to think about everything he needed to say.

" I understand Harry, no one wants to lose the person, or people they care about most." Draco said trying to get Harry to realize how much he cared about him.

Harry shrugged and stayed quiet the rest of the way to the train station. He needed to phrase everything correctly. He didn't want anything to come out like he was accusing them of ruining his life, because in reality they had just given him something that he had always wanted, a family.

"Hermione what are we going to do if Harry decides that he doesn't ever want to bloody talk to us again? We lose our best mate and then we lose each other?" Ron asked almost in hysterics as they waited on platform 9 and ¾ for Harry and his escort to arrive.

" If he decides he doesn't want to talk to us again Ron it would only serve us right. We should have told him a long time ago. This is something that shouldn't be kept under wraps and hoped that no one finds out. We will have to take whatever decision he makes. If we lose each other because of this Ron…then we were never meant to be anyway. But let's not think about it right now." Hermione said not looking over at Ron. She stood staring at the barrier waiting for Harry to come through. She knew he would have a lot to say and she was ready to hear it. She almost wanted him to yell at her just so that he would talk.

" I need to talk about it Mione. I can't just sit back and hope that my best mate is going to talk to me." Ron said looking at her intently.

" Well I suppose you would have to know this friend pretty well to make a guess wouldn't you?" Came Harry's voice from behind them. Both of them turned to see Harry and Draco standing there looking at them both,

" Yes…yes we would." Hermione said not looking at him. She was too afraid of losing her friend. She had thought this might be a bad idea, but it was the only way he could find out.

" Yeah you would have to know me really well to gauge whether or not I would even speak to you after something like that. Why did you keep it from me? Didn't you think I deserved to know? Maybe then I could have skipped out on a lot of the abuse I received at the Dursley's? Maybe my family could have saved me or held me when I was upset or angry?" Harry spurted out as tears came from his eyes. All of this hurt so much. He couldn't believe it but at the same time he knew it was true.

" Harry …I don't know why we hid it for so long. I…I mean we didn't think you would…would ever forgive us." Hermione said trying not to break down into tears.

" Yeah mate look we didn't know what to do." Ron said trying to add some help to Hermione's desperate words.

Harry stared at them for a few minutes and walked away trying to hold back his own tears. He knew he couldn't desert his friends, but he knew that right now he needed nothing more than to get away from them.

FINAL EXAMS!

" Harry hasn't spoken to either of us since that day at the station Ron. I think it is safe to say that we are no longer friends." Hermione said as she took her seat in the charms classroom for the finals.

" Yeah Mione I think you're right. It's kind of sad though. To think we tried to do the right thing and all it did was make us lose our best friend." Ron said sitting down next to her.

" Yeah but it's our own fault. We have to pay for our actions." Hermione said quietly looking at the grains in the wood on her desk.

" Yeah…oh well." Ron said staring at the other half of the class.

" Well Draco this is the last exam of the year. I think it's about time that I stop acting like a baby and just tell them that we are still friends. And that we're together of course." Harry said taking Draco's hand and petting it lightly.

" If that's what you think is best go for it. I'm not going to stop you. I want you to be happy Harry." Draco said smiling as he took Harry's hand and kissed the back of it.

" Good." Harry said as he rushed over to tell Ron and Hermione his decision. Draco stood where Harry had left him and watched as the golden trio was reunited. He thought it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Harry smiling with a tear running down his cheek, Hermione crying and hugging Harry, and Ron standing back watching the two of them just glad to see everything beginning to go back to normal. Draco smiled to himself and then at Harry when he motioned him over. This had been the most eventful of all their years together in Hogwarts. Nothing else compared to this moment. The happiness in all of their eyes said volumes more than words could have in that moment. In that one moment nothing but friends and family being untied mattered.

" I don't think that anything can make this moment anymore perfect." Harry said as he looked from his lover to his friends. "Everything is in place and coming to an end."

" Yeah it's said to think that it truly is the end of our time together." Hermione said as she took her seat once again.

"That it is." Harry agreed taking the seat on her left hand side. " I think that we all learned that everything we've been through is enough to keep us going." Harry said smiling when Draco sat down.

" You're all right. I'm just glad I've got my best mate back." Ron said smiling over all of them.

" Class take your seats. The End of all of your time in Hogwarts is right here in my hand." Professor Flitwick said as he waved his wand passing out the tests." Good luck to all."

**I know that it is really short and cheesy but I wanted the last chapter to signify the end of everything they have all been through. I still have the epilogue, which sadly won't be very long either. Just a quick explanation of the characters lives after Hogwarts. Thank you again to everyone who has read this entire story.**


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue

Epilogue

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Draco sat around a pleasant fire in number 12 Grimauld place talking about the past and things they hoped for in their futures. The group watched as a tawny barn owl flew through the window carrying four envelopes in its beak.

Hermione jumped up excitedly, she knew what these letters were and she couldn't wait to tear into it. The other three laughed as they watched her. Harry sat perched pleasantly in Draco's lap hugging him and Ron stood watching Hermione with an interested look.

" Just as I thought…it's our N.E.W.T.S." Hermione said handing the envelopes to their respective owner before ripping hers open and smiling with pleasure until she got down to her potions score, and she scowled at the paper.

" What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked looking up at her with confused look on his face. The question lead Draco and Ron to look back at Hermione both with the same confused look as Harry.

" Damn Potions Newt." Was all Hermione would say as she set the paper down on the table waiting for everyone else to divulge their scores. She listened as Harry and Ron both told the group of their passing in every NEWT that they took, and Draco smiled as he looked at Hermione.

" Hermione you're going to hate me, because I got a perfect score on the potions NEWT." Draco said and Hermione glared at him and the others all began to laugh.

" So you beat me on one." She said realizing how childish she sounded.

" Yeah as long as you passed that's all that matters." Draco said and Hermione nodded smiling at him.

" You're right Draco it's not like I was near failing." She said. The group went back to their pleasant talks of before and laughed as the reminisced about everything they could think of. Their end of school and exams had come, but the next chapter was unfolding in all of their lives.

**Draco and Harry**:

After finishing school they continued their relationship, both becoming Arurors. After being together for 10 years Draco proposed to Harry and they were married the same summer. They later had a son who was named Scorpius, because Harry couldn't persuade Draco to change his mind. The two are still happily married to this day and are excited to see their only son about to leave for his first year in Hogwarts.

**Hermione and Ron: **

Hermione and Ron were very happy to stay together after their schooling was finished. Hermione went into an internship with her Arithmancy professor and later went to teach the subject at Hogwarts. Ron went into management and finally became the coach for his favorite quidditch team the Chuddley Cannons. They were married a mere two years after being out of school and are proud today to watch two of their children, Hugo and Rose, excelling in Hogwarts. Ron is very happy that neither one of the kids got his brains.

**Snape and Narcissa:**

Married shortly after Draco graduated from Hogwarts and are proud to announce that they will be having another bundle of joy very soon.

**Seamus and Blaise:**

Still fucking like uncontrollable bunnies. But what else did you expect from them? They have no kids…. yet.

" Come on Dad I want to get on the train. Do you have to keep me out here?" Scorpius said turning around to look at Draco who had a firm hold on the boys trunk and owl cage.

"Yes I do have to keep you out here. I'm not letting you go just so you can go snog with Ron's son." Draco said and gave a satisfied smile when his son turned a dark ruby red color.

" I wasn't going to." Scorpius said trying to hide the embarrassment that he could tell showed all over his face. He hadn't wanted his dad to know that he had a boyfriend already. HE stood there in front of his father and gave a sad shrug when Hugo came to the window of the car they would be sharing, waving for him to hurry up.

Harry came up behind Draco and kissed the back of his neck as he snaked his arms around his waist," Let him go Draco. We would have been the same way if we hadn't wasted so many years pretending to hate each other." Draco nodded and let go of Scorpius and he ran into the train as quickly as his legs would carry him.

" What took you so long?" Hugo said looking up from their seat at Scorpius.

" My dad dint want to let me go. I suppose it was separation anxiety or something." Scorpius said and smiled kissing Hugo gently. Hugo kissed him back smiling as he used a locking charm on their compartment.

" I don't want us to be interrupted….we need more time alone." Hugo said and Scorpius gave him a wicked smile.

" I like the way you thing Hu." Scorpius said removing his jacket and making a pillow out of it so he would be comfortable. He smiled up at Hugo as he pulled him down into a passion filled kiss. They were so caught up in themselves that they didn't feel the train begin to move away from the station, but neither one cared they were in together and in that moment nothing else mattered.

I want to thank everyone for reading this story. It was the first one that I ever started and I'm glad that people have read it. I am sad to say that this is the end of this one. But it is nice to see my hard work finished. I want to thank the 2,537 people who read the first nine chapters and hope they will move unto some of my other work.

Sincerely,

Sivamet-Andam-Vishous


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